You Changed My World
by MunkimaCL
Summary: -completed- InuKag - After the jewel is completed, Inuyasha and Kagome have some decisions to make concerning what they will be doing now. [Part 2] Inuyasha's life after Kagome's death. Love story; later angst.
1. Inuyasha's Decision

A/N – This seems to be the most popular type of Inuyasha fanfic.  I always like reading them, but I always end up aggravated because the characters always seem to be a little OOC.  So this is my attempt at a completely in-character Inuyasha/Kagome story.  The rating is only for suggestiveness; other than that, this story is completely innocent.  I've read through volume 31 of the manga, so there are some mentions of things that happen WAY later in the series.  I hope you enjoy it – R&R!

***          *          ***

**YOU CHANGED MY WORLD**

**_PART ONE_**

**Chapter One -**

**Inuyasha's Decision**

A cool breeze drifted through the hut, slightly ruffling Inuyasha's tangled silver hair.  He lay, fighting sleep, as the girl beside him gently wiped his face with a wet cloth.  His red haori and inner shirt lay in tatters on the floor beside him, and his hakama was in no better condition, though he still wore it.  Along his body were countless wounds from the last battle he fought; the final battle that changed everything.

"You're awake?" Kagome asked when she saw his eyes flutter slightly.  He peered up at her with barely open golden eyes, and then grimaced as one of his many wounds demanded attention.

"Kagome…" he gasped quietly.  "You're hurt…"

The girl looked down at her bandaged arm.  "It's nothing really.  Just a scratch."

"Did…did we…beat him?"

She smiled softly.  "Yes, Inuyasha.  Naraku is dead, along with all of his detachments.  You did it, Inuyasha."

"And…the jewel…"

"It's all in once piece.  I have it.  Whenever you're recovered, I'll let you make your wish."

Wincing, he forced his eyes open again to look up at her.  "You…you still want…to give it to me?"

"The Shikon no Tama is too dangerous if it remains here.  I think Kikyou had the right idea, in that if you wish on it, it will disappear.  Then we won't have to worry about it."

The hanyou's eyes closed again.  "Kikyou…"

Kagome looked away.  "We don't know what happened to her.  She may still be out there somewhere."

Inuyasha didn't respond.  _Are you still walking somewhere, Kikyou?_ He thought.  _What are you going to do now?_

"You need to rest now, Inuyasha," Kagome told him.  "Go to sleep, and heal, ok?"

"Wait…Kagome…"

"Nande [what is it], Inuyasha?"

"The others…how are they?"

She smiled again.  "Miroku won't stop talking about how wonderful it feels to not have to wear anything over his hand anymore.  Sango got a little banged up, but she's almost recovered.  I think…" she paused.  "I think they're going to do what they said a while back."

"You mean…get married?"

"Yeah.  The deal was that they'd wait until the battle with Naraku was over, right?  Well, Naraku is dead.  You can imagine how excited Miroku is about finally having someone to bear his child."

Inuyasha smiled weakly.  "That…pervert…"

"Inuyasha, you can barely talk.  You need to rest now."

"Yeah yeah, stop…lecturing me…"

Kagome laughed to herself quietly, and then exited the hut.  Inuyasha sighed, and finally gave in to sleep.

*          *          *

"Shippou!  You little…"

SLAM!

"Wah!  Kagome, Inuyasha's being mean!"

"Inuyashaaaa…."

The hanyou's eyes got wide, and he pointed a finger at Kagome.  "Don't you dare say it, girl!  This is the first time I've been able to move, I don't need you breaking my neck!"

Kagome glared at him, before marching up and whapping him on the head.

"Ow!  What was that for?!"

"For not being able to do you-know-what after you messed with Shippou!" she yelled back.  His ears wilted slightly at the force of her voice.

"Don't yell at me, woman!" Inuyasha responded heatedly.  "The stupid kitsune jumped on my head while I was sleeping!  He deserved it!"

"You weren't sleeping!" Shippou accused from his safe location on Kagome's shoulder.  "Your ears were twitching!"

"Didya ever think that maybe they do that in my sleep?!"

"Inuyasha, stop it now or I WILL say it!" Kagome yelled.  The inu glared at the kitsune, growling slightly under his breath, before spinning around to sit with his back to them.

"Keh," he muttered.  It had been three days of confinement to this hut since he'd first been able to open his eyes.  Three days of total boredom that threatened the little sanity he had left.

Glancing over at the rags that were once his clothes, he sighed.  _So much for the hinezume no koromo [fire-rat robe].  These clothes have taken so much beating, I doubt I could find enough pieces of them to make one sleeve!  I guess it's time for new clothes._

Inuyasha looked down.  His hakama still tied at the waist and covered the important parts, but the legs were torn to shreds.  He would need an entirely new outfit, unless he wanted to run around in rags.

_I liked that robe too,_ he thought, pouting.  _We went through a lot together._

As if reading his thoughts, Kagome dropped some folded clothing into his lap.

"I think your clothes are completely ruined, Inuyasha," she said.  "This isn't much, but you can wear it until you find something else you like."

Examining what she'd given him, he failed to recognize it.  "What in the world is this, Kagome?"

"It's, uh, from my time," she said sheepishly.  "I went there yesterday while you were sleeping and found something I thought you'd be comfortable in.  It's just sweatpants and a t-shirt."

Without saying anything, the hanyou stood and began to untie his hakama, much to Kagome's shock.

"Gah, wait until I'm outside at least!" she cried, before bolting out of the hut.  "Don't you have any modesty at all?!"

Once outside, she sighed and looked down at the jewel hanging around her neck.  _I promised to give it to him so he can become a full youkai,_ she thought.  _And I will.  I wonder if, after all that's happened, he'll still want to make the same wish._

A few minutes later, Inuyasha emerged, and Kagome had to hold back a gasp of surprise.  The clothes she had found fit him perfectly, though they were, of course, not as baggy as his normal clothes.  He had Tetsusaiga slung over one shoulder, for there was no belt to tie it to.  _He looks like a boy from my time,_ she thought, and her heart fluttered slightly.  _If my friends saw him, they'd be in love._

Her thoughts were interrupted when he noticed her staring at him.  "What, did I put something on wrong?" he asked.  She snapped out of it, and looked away.

"No, it's fine."  As he began to walk past her, she said, "Inuyasha?"

He stopped.  "Nande?"

A shocked look fell on his face as he watched her lift the Shikon no Tama off of her neck, and hold it out to him.

"Kagome…" he said quietly.

"I promised it would be yours," she told him.  "Now you can be a full youkai."

Inuyasha looked down at the jewel in his hand, and then back up at the departing girl.  _Kagome…_ he thought, and then quickly made his decision.

*          *          *

Kagome stood by the God Tree, her eyes fixed on the spot where Inuyasha had been sealed.  So many times she had found herself standing in that exact spot gazing at the tree, remembering when she had first met him.  He'd looked so peaceful sleeping under the enchantment.  Back then, she had no idea what she was getting into when she broke his seal.

"What do I do now?" she asked herself quietly.  "The search for the Shikon fragments is over.  Inuyasha is going to be a full youkai, and might never be the same again.  Miroku and Sango are going to get married, and have lots of kids.  Shippou…I don't even know what Shippou wants to do.

"This isn't my time, but why does it feel so much like home?  I have responsibilities in my own time.  I have to finish school so I can get a job, and make a living.  I have my own life to live.  But why do I feel so much more at peace while I'm here, in the feudal ages?"

Sensing a presence behind her, she glanced over in surprise when Inuyasha walked up to stand beside her.  He looked completely like himself, but his eyes were serious, as if he'd made a big decision.

"Inuyasha…" she said, confused.  "You still look like a hanyou."

"I am a hanyou," he replied, refusing to meet her gaze.  Her brow creased slightly.

"But the jewel…I can't feel it on you.  What did you do with it?"

"It's gone, Kagome.  It disappeared, like you said it would."

"But…" she couldn't figure out what he was saying.  "What did you…"

"I wished that…" he stopped, and then made himself say it.  "I wished that you would always be with me, Kagome, and that you'd always be able to travel between our times, so you'd never have to choose between us."

She gasped.  "Inu…Inuyasha…"

She felt herself being wrapped up in his warm arms, and he hugged her tightly as if he feared she'd disappear.  "You changed my world, Kagome.  I was never this happy before I knew you.  I want to be able to stay with you.  You told me a long time ago that you wanted to stay with me, despite all I did.  Now I just want to stay with you."

As she stood in his embrace, she remembered all the times he had protected her.  Even though he got injured, he protected her from everything, and because of that not once did she ever get hurt badly while being with him.  Yet, he'd had a hole through his stomach, poison in his body, and countless other things, just because he'd been protecting her.

She smiled.  "Arigato [thank you], Inuyasha."


	2. Kagome's Destiny

Chapter Two - Kagome's Destiny 

Inuyasha carried Kagome as he jumped out of the well into her time.  Stepping from the well house, Kagome sighed, and hesitated.

"I never told Mama about all the danger, and everything that I was doing while I was in your time, Inuyasha," she said.

"So?  You don't have to tell her," he replied.

"No, I want to.  Now that it's over, I want her to know.  I can't let her believe that it was all just a picnic.  She needs to understand what we've been through.  It'll make it easier to accept my staying with you."

Upon entering the Higurashi house, they were immediately attacked by Kagome's brother, Sota.

"Inuyasha-oniisan!" he shouted happily, running to greet them.  Kagome quickly slid off her shoes and entered the house, and Inuyasha followed, arms crossed in his traditional manner, though his sleeves weren't long enough for him to cross his arms into them.

"Ah, welcome back, Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi greeted as her daughter walked into the living room.  She smiled warmly at Inuyasha.  "I see the clothes we found are your size.  I always had a good eye for that."

"Uh…yeah," he mumbled, glancing down at the odd things he was wearing.  _As soon as we get back, I find real clothes,_ he decided.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.  He glanced at Kagome, and she smiled and nodded slightly.

"Um, yeah, I guess," he replied.

"Come to my room, Inuyasha-oniisan!" Sota pleaded.  "We can play a video game!"

Kagome giggled as the slightly bewildered hanyou was led off to the younger boy's room.  She predicted to hear shouts and see broken game controllers in the next few minutes, followed by Sota suggesting a new activity that would further confuse and startle Inuyasha.

Without saying anything, Kagome walked back outside and went to sit on the bench by the God Tree.  Sure enough, within moments her mother had walked out as well, and came to sit beside her.

"Your dog friend seems to be pretty healed up from the injuries you said he had," Mrs. Higurashi said, looking up at the tree.  "It must be nice to heal that quickly."

Kagome looked down at her hands.  "Mama, I…I want to tell you that…we've finished our quest."

"You put the jewel back together?  That's good, Kagome."

"I also wanted to tell you…"

"Yes?"

Kagome hesitated, and then suddenly began to pour out everything that had happened over the time she had been there, starting from the moment she was first pulled through the well.  She told her about all the times Inuyasha had fought, and about all the youkai that had been after her, and all the times she had been in danger and Inuyasha had protected her.  She told her about Sesshoumaru, the Shichinintai, and most of all, Naraku.  Her eyes darkened as she recalled Inuyasha's insane transformations into his full youkai form.  She laughed a little when she told her about Kouga and how stubbornly he continued to call her his woman, and felt tears in her eyes when she told her about Kikyou.

When she was done, she wiped away her tears, and leaned her head on her mother's shoulder.  Mrs. Higurashi didn't say anything, but leaned her head on her daughter's head and gazed at the tree.

"After the Shikon no Tama was back together, I gave it to Inuyasha, because he wanted to be a full youkai," Kagome told her.  "But instead, he wished that he could always have me, and that I'd always be able to cross time.  I don't know what to do about that, Mama.  I don't know where I belong."

Mrs. Higurashi gently ran her fingers through Kagome's hair.  "Kagome," she said.  "It's all ok."

Kagome sniffled and looked up at her mother.  "But Mama…"

"Have you ever studied the Higurashi family history?"

Kagome's face fell.  "Um…no."

Mrs. Higurashi continued to look at the tree, smiling contently.  "If you follow it back far enough, you will find the very first Higurashi in our line.  It was about five hundred years ago when the first of our family is recorded.  It was a woman whose husband's name was never written.  Do you know what her name was?"

"No, Mama."

"Her name was Kagome."

Kagome gasped, and truth began to dawn on her as her mother continued.

"The very first recorded ancestor in our family was a woman named Higurashi Kagome.  And from her children, and their children, and theirs, and on down through the years, we were born in this time in the Higurashi family.  In all the years of our history, we have always lived at this shrine, since it's very beginnings."

"Mama, you knew this…"

"I've known it all along, Kagome.  That's why I was so cheerful about letting you go through the well.  Because I knew the moment you first fell through it, that it was you."

Mrs. Higurashi looked at her daughter.  "It is you, Kagome, who is our ancestor from five hundred years ago.  It's been your destiny since you were born to go back in time and live in the past, and be the roots of our family.  And, since the name of the husband was never recorded, I believe I know who it is."

"Who, Mama?"

She smiled.  "Your dog friend.  Inuyasha."

Kagome gasped again, and stared at the house where the hanyou was currently.  _You mean that Inuyasha and I…we are my own ancestors?!_  "But Mama," she said, "Inuyasha is a hanyou.  That would mean that there's youkai blood in us."

"There may be, though it would be so little it wouldn't be noticeable," Mrs. Higurashi said.  "After all, it has been five hundred years, and many generations of marrying humans.  I wouldn't doubt that there's some youkai blood in us, but it wouldn't make any difference now."

Faintly, Kagome heard some racket going on in the house, and recognized Inuyasha yelling frantically about something.  She smiled, and laughed slightly.  "So, you're letting me do this, aren't you, Mama?  You're letting me live in the feudal era?"

"Like I said, Kagome, it is your destiny." She smiled brighter.  "Besides, didn't Inuyasha wish that you would still be able to cross time?  You will still be able to visit us."

"And I won't have to worry about school anymore," Kagome realized.

"Yes, and you don't have to worry about continuing the Higurashi family in this time, because we still have Sota.  He'll grow up, someday."

"Oi, Kagome!" The girl looked over to where Inuyasha was yelling from the house.  "Are you gonna sit out there all day?"

She and her mother exchanged knowing glances, before she laughed and called back, "I'm coming!"

As they stood and began walking back to the house, Kagome thought about all her mother had said.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Kagome?"

"When Inuyasha and I get married…" she blushed at the thought. "…can it be here, at the shrine?  I know, since he's a hanyou, he probably won't think a wedding is necessary, but I'd still like one."

"If it's what you want, I'd be delighted to have it here, Kagome," her mother replied warmly.

"And we don't tell Inuyasha about any of this."

"I won't say a word."


	3. Shopping With Mom

Chapter Three - Shopping With Mom 

After dinner that night, Kagome showed Inuyasha some TV, but soon had to bring him to her room when he started to get violent and tried to attack the box.  There they remained, Kagome sitting on her bed, and Inuyasha sitting on the floor, leaning back against the side of the bed.

"Kagome?" the hanyou said after an extended period of silence.

"Nande, Inuyasha?" she asked, looking at the back of his head.  His ears twitched a couple of times.  _He looks so timid right now,_ she thought.

"Um…Kagome," he finally said.  "I know I haven't been all that nice to you all this time.  I know I've been an idiot a lot.  And…I don't expect to be forgiven for a lot of it."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said softly.

"Kagome, I meant what I said earlier," he continued, interrupting her.  "I may not show it, but I need…I need to admit it.  You…you mean a lot to me, Kagome.  And I…I know that…that you…" He swallowed.  This was harder than he thought it would be.  As a man who never spoke his feelings, he was unaccustomed to these types of conversations.

"Go on," Kagome encouraged, seeing how difficult this was on him.

"Kagome…" he said softly, before turning to look at her.  "I know that we've never really had anything going on.  I'm not really the type to court a girl.  But I think…I think that with all we've been through, it should make up for that."

Kagome held her breath, waiting for him to say what she wanted so badly to hear.

"Kagome…when we go back to my time, will you…will you live with me, and be my wife?"

Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I know you're still young, and I…"

He stopped as she fell to her knees and threw her arms around him, tears soaking his shirt.  Shyly, he put his arms around her.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he said softly.

"No, it's ok this time, Inuyasha," she said through her tears.  "It's not sad crying."

"Then…"

Kagome pulled her face from his shirt and looked at him, her face stained with tears.  "Of course I will, Inuyasha.  I will always stay with you.  And I will…I will be your wife.  When I'm a little older."

He wiped tears from her face.  "Of course.  You're still too young, in this time.  But I'm willing to wait for you."  He smiled.  "Besides, I need time to find you a proper home.  We can't live in the trees, the way I did when I was alone.  I promise I'll take care of you.  And I promise we'll stay by the well, so you can visit."

With a happy sigh, Kagome rested her head against his chest again.  After a slight hesitation, Inuyasha shifted so she was in his lap, and held her protectively.  _She's mine,_ he thought.  _I must protect her._

He held her closer, and whispered in her ear, "Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

"Ashiteru, Kagome."

She smiled, happy and safe in his arms.  "Ashiteru, Inuyasha-chan."

His eyes widened a little at the addition to his name, and then he closed his eyes and leaned back against her bed, feeling, above all things, content.

*          *            *

"Gomen, Inuyasha-chan, but I really must go!" Kagome pleaded, attempting to pry the stubborn hanyou's hand off of her wrist.

"I don't see the point!" he argued.  "When you live with me I'm certainly not going to have to running over here every day to go to school!  May as well drop it now and get used to it!"

"Yasha-chan…" His eyes briefly widened at the new nickname.  "I need to go tell my friends why I won't be here anymore.  I can't just leave them!"

"Kagome!" he protested, but was soon silenced with an, "Osuwari!"  By the time he was able to pull his face out of the floor, she was gone.

"That girl…" he growled, climbing back to his feet.  "She better not think she's gonna keep this stupid necklace on me after we're married!"

"Married?"

His entire body froze, all except for one ear, which turned towards the voice.  Kagome's mother stood behind him.

_Oh great,_ he thought, cursing himself as he turned towards her.  To his surprise, she was smiling.

"Inuyasha," she said cheerfully.  "So you did propose to her!"

Suddenly extremely embarrassed, he looked down at the floor, cheeks flushed.  "Uh…well…"

Mrs. Higurashi laughed.  "Don't worry, Inuyasha.  I expected it."

He didn't think his face could get redder, but apparently it could.  "You…you did?"

"Of course.  That's why today I'm going to take you shopping."

Inuyasha recoiled slightly, very confused.  "Huh?"

She held up his baseball cap and some sandals.  "Put these on, and we'll get going right away!"

A few moments later, a rather awkward-feeling Inuyasha stood beside her, shifting his feet uncomfortably.

"Do I really have to wear these?" he asked, motioning to the sandals.

"I'm afraid so.  They won't allow you inside without shoes.  Oh, and leave that sword here, you can't take it with you.  Come now, Inuyasha.  We're going."

They walked through town for a while, and Inuyasha apologized to his poor feet, which were really starting to hurt.  When he thought he couldn't take much more of it, Mrs. Higurashi finally went into a store.

"Here we are," she said, and he followed her a little timidly, trying his hardest to not bring any attention to himself, lest someone take too close a look and notice that he wasn't exactly human.  Inside the building, he saw a lot of jewelry, and was confused as to what they were doing there.  Mrs. Higurashi led him to a glass box that had rings in it.

"Now, pick one that you think Kagome would like," she told him.  He looked at her quizzically.

"What for?"

"For an engagement ring.  Now that you two are engaged, she should have a ring from you."

"Oh."  He'd never heard of this tradition.  _Of course,_ he thought.  _Even if humans did this in my own time, I wouldn't know.  Youkai don't do things like this.  They just claim their partner and that's it._

Of course, he would do that too, when the time was right.  But Kagome was human, and he was half human, so he had to follow the human traditions as well.

Kneeling down, Inuyasha pressed his hands against the glass and looked hard inside.  He carefully examined each ring as Mrs. Higurashi watched patiently, and grew more and more frustrated as each one he looked at just didn't seem right.  He was nearing the end of the rings, when he finally spotted one that really caught his attention.

"That one," he pointed.  "Can I look at it better?"

The man working at the shop took the ring out of the box and handed it to him.  Inuyasha examined every little part of it, and then, satisfied, handed it to Kagome's mother.

Looking at it, she was surprised at what he'd chosen.  It was white gold, and the top was shaped into a crescent and lined with very small diamonds.  It was very unique.

"This is a very pretty ring, Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi commented.  Inuyasha grinned proudly.

"Of course," he said cockily.

"Any reason why you chose it?"

Some of the cockiness faded.  "It's the mark of my family.  My youkai side, that is.  My brother, Sesshoumaru, wears it on his forehead.  The line of youkai I'm from has a connection with the moon, though I'm really not sure how."

_Well, I know MY connection to it_, he thought somewhat bitterly, recalling his human transformation during the new moon.  _I can't be bitter about that,_ he told himself.  _I used my wish on Kagome.  I can deal with being human once a month._

Soon, Mrs. Higurashi had handed Inuyasha a little box.  "Give this to her tonight when you see her," she instructed as they walked back to the shrine.  "Be sweet about it to.  You need to make her feel special."

A rude remark attempted to get out, but he forced it back, telling himself to be polite with Kagome's mother.  Instead, he simply said, "I will," and the rest of the walk was silent.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled happily as they walked up the shrine steps, stealing glances at the young man beside her.  _Hanyou,_ she corrected herself.  _I wonder if my grandchildren will have his cute ears?_  Then, another thought occurred to her.

"How old are you, Inuyasha?" she asked.  He cocked an eyebrow at the strange question.  Kagome had never asked him.

"Well, let's see," he said, thinking out loud as he tried to remember.  "I was a little over fifty years old when…" he paused and considered his words.  "When I was enchanted.  Then I spent fifty years asleep, so I didn't age.  I guess, if you count years, I'm somewhere over one hundred, but since I was under a spell for fifty years, I don't think those years count."

"You certainly don't look or act like you're fifty years old," Mrs. Higurashi said lightly, receiving another cocked eyebrow.  Inuyasha once again had to resist the urge to say something rude.

"Youkai age differently than humans," he finally said, finding no other way to respond to that.  "I guess, if I was a human, I'd probably be around seventeen years old.  I'm still a young hanyou."

"You mentioned a brother.  How old is he?"

For a second, Inuyasha froze.  _That idiot, Sesshoumaru.  I can't believe I'm having to think about him at a time like this._  "Uh…I'm really not sure how old Sesshoumaru is.  Maybe three hundred years old, I think?  He never really told me…"

Mrs. Higurashi laughed softly at his confused face.  "Apparently the brothers don't get along."

"Keh," he muttered.  "He's an egotistical idiot who thinks that just because he's a youkai lord he can run everyone's lives, and ruin mine."

"Surely he's not all that bad now, Inuyasha."

"Heh!  You'd believe me if you met him!" Inuyasha huffed.  Then, he remembered something.  "Actually, I'm not sure why, but he hasn't been so bad lately.  And he's been dragging this little girl around with him…actually, she's following him.  I don't know what his problem is now, but he's not acting like himself."

"Everyone has some good in them, Inuyasha," she said cheerfully.  "Who knows?  Maybe one day, the two of you will get along."

"Maybe," he said lightly.  _And I'm really a cat,_ he thought, disgusted.  _Why in the world are we talking about that idiot?_

At that moment, they reached the house, and Inuyasha immediately kicked off the sandals and took the hat off, letting his poor ears perk up again.  He bolted straight for Kagome's room, and made up his mind to stay there until she got home so he wouldn't end up in anymore stupid conversations about people he didn't want to talk about.

*          *            *

A/N – A quick note about Kagome using "chan" at the end of Inuyasha's name.  I know in the show you only hear her call other girls and Shippou that; she usually calls guys "kun" (like Hojo-kun or Kouga-kun).  But "chan" is also used between boyfriend and girlfriend, so her calling him that is a display of affection.  Also, I know most people would give Inuyasha the nickname of Inu-chan; the reason I didn't is because Kagome would literally be calling him "dog", and I don't think he'd appreciate that.  So he's Yasha-chan.


	4. Tickle Battle

A/N – When I said this was the most popular type of story, I sure wasn't lying!  I must say I'm amazed at the reviews I've been getting; thank you so much for all of them, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story! 

*          *          *

Chapter Four - Tickle Battle 

Kagome sighed, holding her aching head.  _They never stop, do they?_ She thought, looking out of the window to see that the sun was about to set.

She and her friends, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi, were at their hangout, Wacdonalds.  They had been there for quite some time now, and Kagome was about to get on her knees and beg to be allowed to go home.

"I can't believe that violent, selfish, guy proposed to you!" Eri said for the thousandth time.

"And you accepted?!" Yuka exclaimed, as if saying it over and over again would make reality change in some way.

"I think it's wonderful," Ayumi said dreamily.  "I knew you loved him when you first told us about him, Kagome-chan."

"But why do you have to leave?" Yuka demanded.  "Can't the violent guy wait until you're out of school?"

"You don't understand," Kagome said for the millionth time.  "He doesn't live here.  He lives…very far away, and they have a completely different way of living.  Where he lives, there are girls younger than me who are mothers already!"

"Kagome-chan!" Eri gasped.  "You…you're not pregnant, are you?!"

Kagome turned beet red.  "Eri-chan!  Of course I'm not pregnant!  We haven't…that is…well, you know!"

"But you will, if you let him control you like this," Yuka told her.  It was then that Kagome lost her last shred of patience.

"Inuyasha is not like that!" she yelled.  "He may not be the most sensitive guy, but he would never take advantage of me!  Stop accusing him of stupid things when you don't even know him!"

The three girls silently stared in shock as Kagome's outburst ended.  The girl sat, breathing heavily, as she waited for their reactions.

"You…you really do love him, don't you?" Eri asked finally.  Exhausted, Kagome closed her eyes.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be leaving everything to go live with him in a completely different place," Kagome said.  "When he's around, I feel safe.  He doesn't let anything hurt me, and would never do anything bad to me.  Of course I love him.  And I know…I know now that he loves me."

Her friends didn't say anything, and slowly, Kagome stood.  "I need to go home now.  He's probably wondering where I am."

Eri gasped.  "He's at your house?"

"He's visiting right now," she said.  "We'll be going back to his home soon.  And I'll be staying there."

Kagome then left the restaurant, leaving her friends speechless.

*          *          *

"I'm home," Kagome's voice rang through the house as she slid the door shut and pulled off her shoes.  She walked up to her bedroom, and was surprised when Inuyasha emerged from the room to greet her on her way there.

"What are you doing, hiding out up here?" she asked, walking in to drop off her stuff.  He followed her back in.

"Escaping uncomfortable conversations," he muttered.  "When are we going back?"

She sighed.  "I guess anytime you want is fine.  Let's at least spend one more night here before we go."

"Hmph; fine."

Inuyasha plopped onto the floor with his legs crossed, and leaned back against her bedroom door.  She looked down at him in amusement.

"Yasha-chan, can I please get to the door?"

"Kagome!" he exclaimed heatedly.  "You left me here all day at the mercy of your family, and now that you're home you won't even spend five minutes with me!  What's up with that?"

She rolled her eyes, and then sat on her bed.  "Alright, alright.  We can stay in here."

"Good."  He rose to his feet and was soon plopped down next to her.  Hesitating a moment before deciding to be brave, he lay down and rested his head in her lap.  Her eyes widened at the sudden display of affection, and then she smiled.

"The last time you did this, you were a human," she said, remembering the first time she'd ever seen him in his human form.  He closed his eyes and she could tell he was very relaxed, just lying there.

Kagome stared at his face adoringly, wishing he was always this sweet.  She ran her fingers through a bit of his hair, and then began to experimentally rub one of his ears, the way she would when she petted her cat, Buyo.

Inuyasha's eyes cracked open as soon as her fingers touched his ear, and there was a momentary look of annoyance.  "What is it with you people and my ears?" he muttered.

"If you don't like it, I'll stop," she said.  His eyes closed again, and he tilted his head more towards her.

"Do as you like," he said.  So she continued to rub his ear, and after a while moved to the other one.  They felt so silky and soft, and Kagome could tell by the weight of his head in her lap that he was falling asleep.

She began to rub at the base of his ear, and when she did, he smiled slightly, and the ear twitched.  Grinning, she continued, and soon to her amusement one of his feet began to twitch.  She rubbed the base of both ears at once, and his foot twitched more.  _Just like a real dog,_ she thought, giggling.

Inuyasha's face grew annoyed, and his eyes opened.  "Oh stop that," he finally said.  "You have no idea how irritating that is."

"What, this?" she teased, and rubbed harder, causing his foot to twitch even more.  With a snort of disgust, he rolled out of her lap and off of the bed, making a loud thunk as he hit the floor.  Unable to help herself, Kagome began to laugh, and Inuyasha sat up and began to growl playfully.  He then pounced on her, and she shrieked as she found herself being tickled.

"How do you like it, eh?" he said haughtily, pinning her down to tickle her.

"Inuyasha…stop!" she barely managed to say.  After a moment, he let her up, and sat beside her on her bed.

"I have something for you," he said after a moment.  Curious, Kagome watched as he pulled something out of his pocket.  She gasped as he held the ring out to her.

"For you to wear," he told her.  "So everyone will know you're going to be mine."

Awestruck, she slid the ring on her finger, admiring the design on it.  "Yasha-chan, it's beautiful."

"This is from the human me," he said.  She gave him a strange look.

"What do you mean?"

"Youkai and humans claim their partners differently.  Since you're human, and I'm a hanyou, we'll do it the human way, but I still must claim you as a youkai would, or else other youkai won't recognize you as mine.  But I won't do that to you until you are mine."

"What is it that you have to do?" Kagome asked, suddenly slightly uneasy.  It was just as well, for he was the same way.

"I'll put a mark of my blood on you, so you smell of me.  It may hurt a little, because I have to break the skin, but I'll do it with my claws, and I'll make it quick.  It's the way all youkai claim their partners."

"Oh…" she looked down.  "Where do you mark me?"

He gently ran a claw across the side of her neck, careful not to cut her.  Throughout the entire conversation so far, his face had been beet red with embarrassment.  "Here.  That way it's a visible mark, so everyone will know you're mine." 

Suddenly tired, Kagome yawned.  "Um, Yasha-chan, I think I want to take a nap.  Will you wake me up when dinner's ready?"

"Um…ok, sure."  She started to lie down, and then realized he was still sitting on her bed.

"Um, Yasha-chan?  Do you think you could move so I can lay down?"

In response, the hanyou pushed himself further onto the bed, sitting with his back against the wall.  "No."

"Inuyasha…"

"You can still sleep."

Sighing in defeat, she turned around and laid her head in his lap, earning a very wide-eyed look from the hanyou.  He shifted slightly to make her more comfortable, and then let his body go into a relaxed state.

"Don't forget to wake me up, Yasha-chan," she said sleepily.

"I won't," he replied, and then, with a slight grin and flushed cheeks, added, "Kagome-chan."


	5. You're Mine

**Chapter Five -**

**You're Mine**

The weeks seemed to fly by as fall approached.  Already there was a slight chill in the air, causing great annoyance to a certain inu hanyou who was attempting to build a house.

Inuyasha grumbled to no one in particular as the leaves began to fall from the trees.  _I have to finish before winter, or we'll have to stay with Kaede-baba.  I can't work in the snow._

Normally, the project would have barely taken a week for the young hanyou, but he felt like he needed to spend extra time on this.  After all, it would be Kagome's house, and he wanted her to be as comfortable as possible, considering all of the conveniences she was leaving behind by staying in the feudal era.

Once every two weeks, Kagome would return to her time for a day or so to visit and stock up on things she had run out of.  Ramen is a good example.  She also told her family about the progress Inuyasha was making, and they decided that as long as she was ready, she could marry him whenever she wanted.  After all, there were girls younger than her who were already married in his time.

Miroku and Sango had a pretty, yet small wedding, and stayed in the village where Kaede lived so they could be close to their friends.  Inuyasha, however, was building his home away from the village, in the forest that had been named after him.  He'd positioned it at the edge of the field where the well was, and within sight of the God Tree.

The design he was working on was a slightly odd combination of the village huts he was used to, and Kagome's house.  This made for a strange set up, but he was determined to make it work.

Lifting a board onto his shoulder, Inuyasha was about to jump onto the roof when he caught a familiar scent.  Forgetting about the board completely, he turned to see Kagome climbing out of the well, huffing with her very worn yet indestructible yellow backpack.

As Kagome stepped into the grass, she looked towards her soon-to-be home and the hanyou standing in front of it, smiling back at her.  He looked very handsome in the clothes he now wore, she thought.  Black hakama with a gray haori, as well as a loose black vest that made him look, at least in her eyes, more mature.  He still refused to wear shoes, but that was the least of her worries.

"Inuyasha-chan!" she called out.  "Come help me with my bag!"

"Baka," he said as he walked towards her.  "You always have to pack so much that you can't carry it.  If I wasn't here, you'd be helpless."

He swung the bag over one shoulder, and she smiled as she slipped her hand into his.

"Arigato, Yasha-chan," she said, and he led her back towards the half finished structure.  "Sugoi! [cool!]  It looks so good!  You're a good builder."

"Keh.  I guess." Was his response, and he dropped the bag on the ground.  She watched him pick up the same board again, and then jump up to the roof, as he'd been about to do when she arrived.

"I'm going to go visit Sango-chan, alright?" she said.  A gruff "whatever" met her ears, and she began walking towards the village.

As she walked off, Inuyasha paused, watching her.  _She's changed so much from when I first met her.  She's so much stronger now.  And yet, she's still the same stubborn girl.  When did I get so fond of her?_

*          *          *

The house was finished the day before the snow began to fall.  Winter was spent furnishing the inside, a task that Kagome took upon herself.  Many days Inuyasha would simply sit and watch as she hurried around putting things in places, most of which came from her time.  Though the thought of her as his soon-to-be wife still made him blush, he was getting used to it, and watched somewhat possessively as she put the house in order.

It was spring when she decided that she was old enough.  The wedding didn't take much planning; it was just going to be a small ceremony, and would be, for the most part, Western style.  At least, as Western as she could get, seeing that the groom was a boy from the past who'd never even heard of America.

When the day arrived, the two of them prepared in their separate times, both far too nervous to see each other before the actual ceremony.  Miroku insisted that Inuyasha wear the traditional wedding robes, despite the fact that he was only half human, and spent most of the morning fighting the stubborn hanyou's appearance.  Inuyasha fumed the whole time, muttering that he felt like a stuffy noble man in the fancy clothes.

Before his departure through the well, the houshi attempted to give him some woman advice about the wedding night, and was rewarded with a rather large bump on the head.  Cheeks flushed from embarrassment, Inuyasha jumped into the well, if anything just to get away from Miroku.

Muttering about how he could never battle youkai in his current clothing, Inuyasha emerged from the well house, and was immediately greeted by Sota.

"Inuyasha-oniisan!  Whoa, you look awesome!"

"Keh," the hanyou muttered, though he was relieved for the annoyance.  It kept his mind off of what was coming, making him less nervous.

"Oneesan is getting ready with Mama now, but she'll be ready soon!  Come with me!"

Inuyasha allowed the boy to pull him towards the God Tree.  His eyes widened as he took in how nice everything looked; it may have been a small ceremony, but the Higurashi family still went to great lengths to make it special.  He tugged slightly at his robe, wishing it were all over with so he could get back in his normal clothes.

"Ah, Inuyasha!"

He turned, and gasped.  Walking towards him with her mother was Kagome, dressed in the prettiest clothes he'd ever seen.  Her hair was done up in traditional Japanese style, and she wore a shiromuku, a fancy white kimono that covered all of her body except her neck and head.  _She's so pretty,_ he found himself thinking.

"Now, shall we begin?" Mrs. Higurashi asked sweetly.

The ceremony was short and sweet, and took place right in front of the God Tree.  Throughout the entire thing, the same thought was going through both of their heads: _I can't believe I'm actually doing this._

When it was over, Kagome went inside to change her clothes, and Inuyasha stood by the tree, looking up at it.  _We've been through a lot, haven't we, God Tree?_ He thought.  _You were my home for fifty years, and now, you've watched me start a new life._  As he stood there, Mrs. Higurashi walked up to him.

"It's pretty, isn't it, Inuyasha?"

He glanced over at her to see her staring up at the tree as well.  "Yeah…"

"Inuyasha, I don't expect her to visit us constantly.  I want her to create her life there with you, and not worry about this time.  Please promise you'll take care of her."

He nodded his head once.  "I always will."

Kagome then emerged from the house.  He was surprised to see her wearing an actual kimono instead of her normal modern clothes, and smiled slightly, knowing she'd finally accepted that she would be living in his time and wanted to fit in.

"Let's go, Kagome," he said.  She hugged her mother, before taking his hand and departing through the well.

*          *          *

It was dusk when they arrived, and the first thing Inuyasha did was tear off those stupid robes and put his regular clothes back on.  Kagome started a fire as it grew darker, and they sat beside each other looking into the flames.  Neither said anything, but both were content to be silent.

After a long time, Inuyasha shifted slightly.  "Kagome?"

"Yes, Inuyasha?"

He hesitated, before saying, "I'm going to mark you now."

He waited for her nod of approval, before shifting to sit on his knees looking at her.  He gently turned her to sit facing him, and just looked at her face for a moment.  He sighed.

"Kagome…"

Shifting yet again, he pulled her into his arms, startling her.  He then let her lean back on him, his legs on either side of her body, before raising his hand to trace her neck with his fingers.

"Gomen, Kagome."

With a quick movement, he cut a crescent shape in the side of her neck, making her gasp.  He then flicked his claws and made a shallow cut on his hand, and pressed the two cuts together.

"Inuyasha…what are you doing?" Kagome asked, bewildered.

"I'm marking you, like I said I would," he replied, proud that he wasn't nearly as embarrassed to talk about it now.  "My blood is sealing over yours, so you will always smell like me.  The cut will close in a second."

A moment later, he withdrew his hand to reveal a crescent shaped scar on her neck.  Once again, he had used the sign of his family, for he really knew no other mark to make.

"Now you're mine forever," he said softly.  "No other youkai can claim you."

She turned her body slightly, and pressed her hand to the back of his head, pushing their faces together in a soft kiss.  Their first kiss had been just a short time ago, and had been very timid.  Even now that she knew she was his, she felt shy about showing any affection to him, and she knew he felt the same way.  They were still young; it would take some time before the shyness went away.

Sitting by the fire kissing her hanyou as he gently held her in his arms, Kagome sighed mentally, content.  When the kiss was broken, she reached up and gently took his necklace in her hands.  The moment she touched it, the beads disappeared.

"K…Kagome…?" he stuttered.

"When those were first put on you, it was to keep you from hurting me," she said.  "Now, I doubt I'll have to worry about that.  I want you to be free, Inuyasha.  I don't want you tied down to a necklace anymore."

He hugged her closer.  "Arigato, Kagome."

*          *          *

A/N – I actually did research for this chapter.  You have no IDEA how hard it is to find any information on traditional Japanese wedding clothes for men, let alone pictures.  Since I found myself unable to describe Inuyasha's wedding clothes, I drew him wearing it so you can get an idea of what he looked like (and why he hated it so much).  I had to put some spaces in the URL so Fanfic.net would show it, so delete the spaces after all of the "/" slashes.  Go here to view it – 

http:// invisionfree.com/ forums/ The_Nuthouse/ index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=342

Don't worry, this isn't the end yet!  Still more to come!


	6. Tests of Loyalty

**Chapter Six -**

**Tests of Loyalty**

It was a few weeks later when things began to test their loyalty.

Walking through a familiar area of forest, Inuyasha caught a scent that greatly annoyed him.  He began to walk a slightly different direction.

"I smell something nasty," he said insultingly, and Kagome looked up at him.

"What is it?"

Before he could answer, the source of the smell appeared in front of them.

"Oi, Kagome!"

Startled slightly, she forced a smile.  "Hi, Kouga-kun."

The wolf began to walk up to them, ignoring the growling coming from Inuyasha's direction.  But when he was a couple of feet away, he suddenly stopped.

"Kagome," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly.  "Why do I smell that puppy on you?"

"Baka wolf," Inuyasha sneered.  "You know exactly why."

Kouga stepped forward again, and reached forward to cup Kagome's chin in his hand.  He then tilted her head, and his eyes narrowed further when he saw the mark.

"Oi, dog-crap," he growled.  "Who said you could touch my woman?"

"She was never your woman, you wimpy wolf," Inuyasha growled back.  "Now get your hands off of what is mine!"

Kouga dodged Inuyasha's claws, and the hanyou smirked at the wolf's slow movements.  "Heh, now that you don't have your jewel shards, you're just an ordinary wolf youkai," Inuyasha taunted.  "I wouldn't even have to draw my sword to kill you now."

Kagome could see where this was going, and for a moment regretted removing Inuyasha's necklace.  _No, it wouldn't be fair to sit him now anyways,_ she thought.  _He's just protecting me._  Instead, she focused on the other youkai.

"Kouga-kun," she said, and watched as they both looked towards her.  "Please don't fight with him."

"What, you actually love this dog-crap?!" Kouga exclaimed, disgusted.

"I've never been your woman, Kouga-kun.  I _chose_ Inuyasha.  And if you fight him now, I will never speak to you again."

"Keh, you wouldn't be able to," Inuyasha butted in, cracking his knuckles.  "He'll just be some blood stains on my claws."

"Kagome, you can't be serious," Kouga said.  He glared in Inuyasha's direction.  "Why would anyone want to be with a hanyou, anyways?  I'd be a much stronger mate."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.  "Hanyou, huh?  Perhaps it is the humanity in me that caused her to choose me, wimpy wolf.  After all, you're just a giant ego who thinks he can beat anyone just because he got to have some Shikon shards for a while."

_Who's a giant ego?_ Kagome thought, suppressing a laugh.  Her amusement was cut short, for Inuyasha's insult received a sudden attack from the full youkai.

The hanyou dodged easily, and then swiped with his own claws, snickering to see red lines appear on Kouga's left arm.

"You're no match for me, wimpy wolf," Inuyasha taunted.  "Why don't you just run back home?"

At that, Kouga attacked again, and received a matching set of claw marks on his other arm.  The wolf growled, and was about to attack again when Kagome suddenly flung herself between them.

"Stop it!" she demanded, holding Inuyasha's wrists in an attempt to hold his claws back.  "I don't want either of you to get hurt!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha protested.

"Kouga-kun, go back to your lair, ok?  Don't mess with Inuyasha anymore."

"You think that puppy can beat me?" Kouga outraged.  "Get out of the way, Kagome.  I'll show you who you should really be with."

"Kouga, I love Inuyasha!  You can't change that!"

The words seemed to strike the wolf, and he took a step back.  "You…you really mean it, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Kagome said.  "Now please, go back to your lair.  I don't want the two of you to fight."

Looking defeated and hurt, Kouga backed away.  "A…alright, Kagome.  Because you want me to, I will.  But if that dog-crap ever hurts you, you can come to me."

"Ursai!" [Shut up!] Inuyasha shouted at the departing wolf.  Kagome sighed and released Inuyasha's wrists.

"Why do you two always do that?!" she yelled.  "Why can't you just accept each other?!"

He recoiled, and then got mad.  "If you really like him that much you should have gone with him when you had the chance, instead of being stuck with a stupid hanyou like me!"

She gasped.  "Inuyasha…"

"Keh!" He turned and glared at the trees, still boiling from what Kouga had said to him.

"Why would anyone want to be with a hanyou, anyways?"

Soon, he felt her slip her arms through his.  "Inuyasha," she said softly.  "I love you the way you are.  I don't care if you're a hanyou."

He sighed, and returned the hug.  "One of these days that wolf's gonna get himself killed if he keeps running his mouth."

*          *          *

Inuyasha sat on the roof of his house, watching the sunset as he waited for Kagome to return.  She'd been gone all day visiting Sango and Miroku, who were expecting their first child now.  It had only been a few days since the meeting with Kouga, and he's spent a lot of that time thinking about what had happened.

_She really does love me,_ he thought, and closed his eyes.  When he reopened them, he saw a soul-stealer flying in the air before him.

"Kikyou…" he gasped.  He leapt off of the roof, and then hesitated.  _Kagome will be back soon.  She's the one I've chosen.  But…Kikyou, I must know if you're still out there._

With that thought, he ran into the trees, following the soul-stealer and hoping it wasn't going far.  Soon, he arrived at the God Tree, and there she was sitting at its base.

"K…Kikyou…" he whispered.  She looked up at him with the same cold, sad look in her eyes that she'd had ever since she'd been brought back.

"I knew you would find me, Inuyasha," she said quietly.

"…Kikyou…"

"I know what you've done," she interrupted.  "You've chosen that girl, Kagome.  My reincarnation.  I never understood her.  She was always so compassionate, even to me.  I've always known she loved you."

Inuyasha walked up to her, stopping a few feet away.  "Why are you still here, Kikyou?"

"Do you remember, Inuyasha, a promise you made?"

He started.  "A promise?"

"You told my sister, Kaede, that you would go to hell with me."

He gasped at the memory.  He HAD said that, but it seemed so long ago.

"So much has changed since then, Kikyou," he said softly.  "I said I would go to hell with you, if it was our destiny.  But…I think my destiny is different."

She looked away.  "Does this girl mean so much more to you than I do?"

"Kikyou, you know how I feel about you!  And if I could…"

"You would what?  Be with me again?  I'm dead, Inuyasha.  I died fifty years ago.  This body…" she chuckled slightly, looking at her hands.  Inuyasha knelt before her.

"Kikyou, what do you want me to do?"

"If I told you, would you really listen to me?  You've already chosen Kagome.  She wears your mark, the mark I would have if things had gone differently."

He didn't say anything, but his heart felt torn.  _Why, Kikyou?  Why did we have to meet again?  Kagome is my wife now; I can't abandon her after the promise I made to protect her._

"Inuyasha," Kikyou said softly.  "I will return to hell.  Whether you come with me or not is your decision."

She stood, and he stepped back away from her, for he knew that if she touched him, he wouldn't be able to say no.  He watched as she sank into the ground, and fought the tears that came to his eyes.  When a ball of light shot out from her and headed the direction of his home, he ran, desperately chasing it and knowing it was the part of Kagome's soul that Kikyou had kept.  The part that hated him.

He shot out from the trees just in time to see the light engulf Kagome.  Her feet lifted from the ground, and within seconds, she fell, being caught in his arms at the last moment.

"Kagome!"

"Inu…yasha…" she whispered.  "What happened?"

He hugged her tightly, and didn't say a word.  _Kikyou's soul has returned to where it belongs.  Now I'll never have to choose between them again._


	7. Battles and Children

**Chapter Seven -**

**Battles and Children**

Six years later

"Oi, Suki!  Get back here!"

"Can't catch me!"

A five-year-old girl raced down the hall, dark silver hair flying around her face.  Behind her, closing the distance between them rapidly, was a slightly annoyed Inuyasha.

"Otou [dad] is too slow!" she teased over her shoulder, running for the doorway that led outside.

_Dear Kami, I hope I wasn't like this when I was a kid,_ Inuyasha thought, watching the silver and blue blur in front of him.  Suki was a constant pleasure and pain, for since Kagome was only twenty-two years old and Inuyasha was far too inexperienced, they often were exhausted trying to deal with their little daughter.  She looked like a perfect mixture of the two of them, with silver hair darker than his, dark gold slitted eyes, and ears that were in the normal place, but were soft and thin like Inuyasha's, as well as pointed.  She had claws, but no fangs, a result of being more human than youkai.  But despite all of her human blood, she could still run, and had far too much stamina for a little girl.

Running outside, Suki bolted for the trees, only to be scooped up by her father before she even touched the grass.  He swung her around and she laughed and climbed onto his shoulders.

"Heh, just where are you going?" Inuyasha said with a smirk.  "You can't get away from me that easily."

Giggling, she buried herself in his hair, before reaching up and yanking playfully on his ears, causing an annoyed reaction.  Inuyasha violently shook his head, and caught her as she flew off.

"You little monster, you…" Inuyasha stopped in mid sentence.  Lifting his head, he sniffed the air, and frowned.

"Suki, go inside and get me my sword," he said, looking off into the trees to his right.  Sensing his sudden seriousness, the girl ran into the house and emerged shortly with Tetsusaiga in its sheath.  He'd gotten accustomed to not carrying it all the time now that he wasn't running around looking for trouble, but he always kept it where he could get to it.

"What is it, otou?" Suki asked nervously.  She watched him sniff the air again, and saw his ears twitch slightly.

"Go back inside and stay there," he ordered, sliding Tetsusaiga's sheath into his belt.

"Otou…"

"Go."

Nodding, she ran back inside, peaking her head out of the doorway to watch.  Inuyasha turned and drew Tetsusaiga, which transformed immediately.

"Alright you, come out!" he shouted at the trees.  "I know you're there!"

The ground shook, and a monstrous youkai emerged from the trees, bellowing.  Inuyasha smirked.

"Keh, you're just a weak youkai," he taunted.  "This should be good practice.  After all, it's been a while since I've had a good fight!"

The hanyou leaped forward and swung Tetsusaiga, removing one of the beast's clawed hands.  The creature bellowed again, and with one more sword swipe, it was gone.

"That was almost boring," Inuyasha said, sliding Tetsusaiga into its sheath.

"_Otou!  Look out!"_

Inuyasha spun towards his daughter, and before he could dodge the monstrous hand he'd removed attacked him on it's own.  It was as big as he was, and thick claws pierced his shoulders and chest as he fell backwards to the ground.

"_Sankon Tetsusou!"_ he yelled, and his claws tore the giant hand apart.  Sitting up, he cursed in his mind as pain shot through his body.

"Otou!" Suki cried, rushing up to him.  "Otou, you're hurt!"

He winced, and pushed himself to his feet.  "I'm ok, Suki.  It's nothing.  I've been hurt worse."

Upon reaching the house, Inuyasha put Tetsusaiga back where it stayed, and then sat against the wall.  _What a perfect time for Kagome to be visiting her family,_ he thought, wincing again.  _There's no way I can heal if I have to run after this girl every minute._

"What can I do for you, otou?" Suki asked, sitting beside him.  He sighed.

"Just be a good girl and come with me."

Rising, he once again grabbed his sword, and began to head towards the nearby creek.  Reaching the water, he removed his haori and inner shirt, and began to clean the blood off of his chest, using his other senses to keep track of his daughter.  _I can't believe I let such a weak youkai do this to me,_ he thought.  His ears suddenly caught the sound of someone walking towards him, and he quickly called out to Suki, standing to face the sound with her at his legs.

He soon relaxed when he heard voices.  "Hisoka, don't run so fast!  I can't keep up with you!"

_Sounds like what I've been saying all day,_ Inuyasha mused as a young human boy a little older than Suki burst from the bushes.  Behind him walked Sango, who looked rather fatigued.  This was probably because she was quite a few months pregnant.

"Inuyasha!" she said in surprise upon seeing the hanyou.

"Hey Sango," he said.  "Looks like Miroku's getting another child, eh?"

She smiled somewhat tiredly.  "I did say I'd give him as many as he asked for."

"Suki-chan!" the boy said happily, rushing to the girl at Inuyasha's feet.

"Hisoka-kun!" she replied with equal enthusiasm.  Inuyasha looked down at them.

"You guys can go play," he said.

"Wait, Inuyasha…" Sango started.

"Don't worry, I'll know where they are."  He knelt again and began to resume his task.  She knelt beside him.

"Inuyasha, what happened?"

"Keh, nothing important.  Stupid monster clawed me."

"Where's Kagome-chan?" Sango asked as she began to help treat his wounds.

"Visiting her family.  Left me with the kid for four days now.  I don't know what's she's thinking."

"Oh, a little demi-youkai can't be too much for the mighty Inuyasha-sama, can she?" Sango teased.  He pouted.

"You don't know how fast she can run.  And she always pulls my stupid ears."

His wounds were finally healing, and he was confident that there'd be nothing left of them by that night.  He dunked his inner shirt in the water to get the blood out, before putting it back on and washing his haori.

"What'd you come here for, Sango?" Inuyasha asked, noticing her lack of activity now that she was done helping him.

"Just wanted to go for a walk," she said.  "Miroku doesn't like it, because he thinks pregnant women should just sit at home and take care of themselves.  I try to walk over here every day to get some exercise for myself, and for Hisoka."

He stood, and flung his dripping haori over his shoulder.  "You should visit us then, since we're just through the trees.  Kagome would like that."

She smiled.  "Maybe I will next time."

He turned towards the sound of the children, which had gone off into the brush.  "Oi, Suki!  We're leaving!"

"Coming otou!"

Sango watched the girl run after the hanyou, and chuckled softly.  "You just wait, Inuyasha, that girl will force you to be patient."

*          *            *

That night, Inuyasha sat outside in a tree, staring at the well.  Suki was asleep, and with Kagome not there he hadn't made a fire.  _Kagome…_ he thought, sighing.  _When will you come back?_

"Otou?"

Looking down, he saw a sleepy-eyed girl looking through the doorway of the house, searching for him.  He jumped down to the ground.

"What are you doing, Suki?" he asked.  "Go back to sleep."

"Otou, when's okaa [mom] coming back?"

He glanced back at the well.  "I don't know.  This is the first time she's gone back since you were born, so she'll probably stay a long time."

"Why didn't you go with her?"

"Someone needs to take care of the house, silly."

He didn't mention that they weren't exactly sure if Suki could go through the well or not.  They'd never tried it, not knowing what to expect.

"Could we go now, just to see her tonight?" Suki asked.  Despite his worries over her, this idea was extremely appealing to Inuyasha, who felt very lonely without his wife after six years of practically no separation except for the occasional trip to the village.  The more he thought about it, the more he desperately wanted to jump through the well and see her again.  

_But what if Suki can't get through?_ He thought.  _She'd end up alone at the bottom of the well, and I don't know if I'd be strong enough to go back without seeing Kagome._

He closed his eyes and responded,  "No, I don't think so."

"Please, otou?  Just this once?"

He sighed and knelt beside her.  "It's not like I don't want to.  I'm just not sure if you could come with me.  Every time we tried, only me and your okaa could go through the well.  No one else ever could."

"Can we please try this time though?"

Inuyasha sighed again, knowing there was no way he could win this battle.  "If you end up by yourself, don't worry, I'll come back for you." _I'll have to,_ he told himself.  _I can't leave her alone._

Walking to the well, Inuyasha lifted Suki onto his shoulders.  "Hold on tight," he said, before jumping in.


	8. A Startling Realization

**Chapter Eight -**

**A Startling Realization**

The familiar blue glow surrounded Inuyasha, and when his feet hit ground again, he angrily kicked the side of the well.  He was alone.  Now he knew he had to go back, but the sweet scent of Kagome reached his nose, weakening his willpower.

He jumped to the top of the well, and took a good whiff of the scent.  _She always smells so good,_ he thought.  Before he could change his mind, he forced himself to jump back into the well, and soon found himself back in his time.  Suki sat at his feet.

"It didn't work, otou!" she cried, jumping into his arms.

"We'll just have to wait until she returns," he said, though every part of him protested against that.  _What's the matter with you?_ He thought, jumping out of the well.  _You're strong, surely you can live without her for a little longer!_

Walking back to their home, his heart ached as he caught her faint scent, which lingered on everything in the house.  _Kagome…when will you come back to me?_

"Otou?" Suki said, shaking him out of his thoughts.

"Nande?"

"Um…I could go stay with Sango-san, and you could visit okaa."

The idea made so much sense it almost made his head spin.  Then, suddenly feeling bad about it, he looked down at the girl.

"Don't you want to see okaa too?" he asked.

"Yeah, but you can go see her now.  I don't mind staying with Sango-san.  I'll get to play with Hisoka-kun!"

As he thought about it, he found himself unable to resist the idea.  "Come on, I'll take you to the village."

With his daughter on his shoulders, Inuyasha ran quickly to the sleeping village, and quietly entered the hut where Sango and Miroku lived.

"Oi," he called out in a loud whisper.  Neither of them stirred.  He then kicked Miroku's legs, and the houshi jumped up.

"Gah!" he cried out, before noticing familiar silver hair in the darkness.  "Inuyasha!  What in the world…?"

"You sure go to bed early.  Look, Miroku, I need a favor," Inuyasha said, kneeling down beside him.  "Can Suki stay here until tomorrow?  I'm going to go see Kagome."

Miroku grinned.  "Oh, spending the night at Kagome's house in her time…"

He was rewarded with a lump on his head.  "Baka, just do what I'm asking!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha.  There's nothing to be ashamed of.  After all, you are married."

The hanyou fought the urge to hit him again.  Instead, he pulled Suki off of his shoulders.

"Stay here with Miroku, Suki," he ordered.  "I'll be back tomorrow.  Maybe I'll even have okaa with me."

"I will, otou!" she said, hugging his neck.  Inuyasha gave Miroku a death glare.

"If anything happens to her…"

The human held his hands up in surrender.  "Alright, alright, don't worry.  You have fun.  Don't rush back." He winked, and Inuyasha shoved him.

"Keh," the hanyou muttered, before departing.  Confident that Suki would be ok, he ran at top speed back to the well, and jumped in.

*          *            *

Kagome was sitting on her old bed drying her hair when she heard the window slide open.  Looking over, she was surprised to see Inuyasha climb in through her window.

"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed, jumping up.  He grabbed her and hugged her tightly, immensely happy now that he'd finally come to see her.

"Kagome…" he whispered into her hair, hugging her tighter.  Then he adjusted their position so he could see her face, before kissing her deeply.

She melted in his arms.  They'd long since gotten over their nervousness of being with each other, and after having Suki, they rarely had the chance to be alone like this.

"This was…unexpected…" she said breathlessly when they parted.  "Where is Suki?"

"With Miroku and Sango," he said distractedly, all of his concentration on her.  He kissed down her neck, before reaching a shirt collar.  "You've got stupid clothes on again," he muttered.

"I like to fit in when I'm here," she told him.

"But you're so much prettier in the clothes from my world.  These clothes aren't feminine."

She looked down at her pajamas.  "Yes they are!  Guys don't wear stuff like this!"

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Ok, ok, I guess in your time these would be guy clothes," she admitted.

"Exactly.  The clothes in this world are messed up."

She tweaked one of his ears.  "You didn't come here just to lecture me about my clothes, did you?"

She got another kiss in response.  "I missed you," he whispered, settling his head on her shoulder.

"Well, lets at least let my family know you're here." With some difficulty, Kagome managed to get him to release her.  She then took his hand and walked downstairs.

"Mama, look who came to visit!" she said cheerfully.  Mrs. Higurashi looked up from the book she was reading, and smiled brightly.

"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed.  "You look so handsome!  I love your new clothes!"

"Inuyasha-oniisan!"

He turned to see a much older Sota standing behind him.  The now teenage boy looked as thrilled as he had as a kid to see his hanyou "brother".

"Hey kid, you got big!" Inuyasha said.  "You're almost as tall as me now!"

"What do you mean 'almost'?  I am as tall as you!"

"How long are you staying, Inuyasha?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.  He turned back towards her.

"Just until the morning," he said.  "I left our daughter with some friends, so I have to go retrieve her tomorrow."

"Well have a nice visit.  I'm glad you came."

Kagome took his hand again and led him back up to her old room.  It was exactly how she'd left it, for Mrs. Higurashi wanted her daughter to feel at home when she visited.  The two of them sat on the edge of her bed and just enjoyed being together for a moment.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said after about a minute.  "Where'd the old man go?  I didn't see him downstairs."

She looked down.  "Jiichan [grandfather] had a heart attack last year and died.  Mama had no way of telling me."

"Oh…" Inuyasha looked at the small feminine hand he was holding, and was suddenly struck by how frail humans were.  He remembered his mother's death when he was little, as well as all of the other humans he'd seen die.  Unconsciously, he held Kagome closer.

_It doesn't seem fair that I'm practically immortal, while my wife only has about seventy years to live,_ he thought.  _She'll be gone and I'll still be young with most of my life ahead of me.  It's just not fair._

Temporarily releasing her, he removed his haori, and then pulled her down to lie beside him, holding her protectively.  She reached over to turn off the light, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	9. Ending of a Lifetime

**Chapter Nine - **

**Ending of a Lifetime**

Fifty years later

_He's so strong,_ Kagome thought as she watched Inuyasha cut a tree down with his claws.  It had bent down towards their house in a storm, so he was disposing of it so it was no longer a threat.  His outfit had changed slightly again, for about ten years earlier a traveler had brought fire rat fur to the village, and he'd bought it from him to have another hinezume no koromo [fire rat robe] made.  He wore black hakama with it, so he didn't look quite as brilliantly red as he'd used to.

So much had happened throughout the years.  Suki was grown and beautiful; she was currently traveling the entire lands as a test of her strength and stamina, unable to stay in one place for too long.  She had a younger brother, Yoshiomaru, who looked entirely human save for fangs and one wisp of silver hair that hung by the right side of his face.  He was much more reserved than his sister, and considered his parents' house his house, though at the moment he too was off on a journey merely to satisfy his great curiosity of the lands.

Miroku and Sango's first son, Hisoka, became a very good monk, and managed to keep his hands off of women for the most part.  Upon hearing the story of his parents' travels and adventures, he'd built a small shrine around the Bone-Eater's well; a shrine Kagome recognized as what would be called the well house in her time.  He was now in the process of building another, and Kagome found it fascinating to see her modern home being constructed before her eyes.

It had been over twenty years since Kagome had stopped visiting the modern times.  She felt so much at home in the feudal era that she never wanted to leave.  At the time of her last visit, Sota had taken jiichan's job as the priest over their shrine, and was doing a rather good job of it.

Feeling her gaze, Inuyasha looked up and smiled at his wife.  She'd aged beautifully, and you could still see her young heart in her eyes.  But no matter how beautiful she was, she'd still aged, and the hanyou never left her side for fear he'd lose her.

He walked up to her, and gently touched one of her cheeks.  She smiled lovingly at him, and then suddenly coughed.

"Kagome, daijoubu [are you ok]?" he asked worriedly.  She gave him a weak smile, and he pulled her into his arms.

"Inuyasha, arigato," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For loving me so much, even though you're still so young and I've grown so old.  I know I probably don't look very pleasing to you anymore."

"Baka," he said quietly.  "I don't care what you look like.  Your soul is still the same.  You're still my Kagome."

Every night, he would stare at her as she slept, feeling so helpless because he couldn't prevent the inevitable.  He never cried, though many times he wanted to.  He knew he had to be strong for her.

It was in autumn that she died, for reasons he did not know.  He buried her at the God Tree, right where they'd first met, and finally let his tears fall as he stood by her grave thinking about their adventures together when she'd been younger.  As the wind blew through the trees, her voice came back to him.

"My name is Kagome!  Ka-Go-Me!"

"Drop the attitude.  You got hurt in that fight."

"Sesshoumaru!  My next arrow hits your left arm!"

"I'm not crying because I'm sad!  I'm crying because you're an idiot!"

"We talked about it before, remember?  How I wanted to stay with you?"

"Osuwari!"

"Kouga, I love Inuyasha!"

_Kagome…_ Inuyasha sat before the grave.  _You were so strong.  You never let anything beat you, because you knew there was always a way to win._

"I don't know how long I'm gonna live, Kagome," he said quietly.  "But I promise I'll never let someone else take your place.  No one else could.  You truly changed my world.  You changed me, and I'll never forget you.  I love you."

*          *          *

You changed my world

When you came to me,

You drove a passion 

In my soul down deep

Oh, to follow you in everything

I don't want to go somewhere if I know that you're not there

'Cause I know that me without you is a lie

I don't want to walk that road, be a million miles from home

'Cause my heart needs to be where you are

I don't want to go.

So come whatever, 

I'll stick with you

I'll walk, you lead me

Call me crazy, or a fool

For forever, I promise you

That I don't want to go somewhere if I know that you're not there

'Cause I know that me without you is a lie

I don't want to walk that road, be a million miles from home

'Cause my heart needs to be where you are

I don't want to go.

Without your touch, without your love

Filling me like an ocean

Your grace is enough, enough for me

To never want to go somewhere if I know that you're not there…

Oh, I don't want to go.

_            ~Avalon, "I Don't Want To Go"_

*          *          *

A/N – This is the end of Part One.  Due to an amazing amount of reviews, I have decided to write another part, which will begin in the next chapter.  Hope you all enjoy the second part as much as the first!


	10. 50 Years Later: Wondering Hanyou

**_PART 2_**__

**Chapter Ten**

**Fifty Years Later – Wandering Hanyou**

_Ah, the ocean smells good,_ Inuyasha thought, closing his eyes and slightly tilting his head back as his nose took in the salty scent.  He sat on the top of a rocky cliff overlooking the water, the ocean wind tossing his silver hair around and catching in his large red sleeves.  For a moment he seemed to forget about everything else, and was content to simply sit and listen to the waves crash below him.

"Inuyasha-san?"

One ear turned towards the voice.  He heard light footsteps coming towards him.

"Nande?" he responded without turning around.

"May I sit with you?"

He shrugged.  "I can't stop you."

There was a rustle of cloth, and a girl who appeared to be a young adult knelt beside him.  She looked to be, in most ways, a common village girl, and wore the traditional kimono and skirt, though in colors slightly more radiant than usual.  Her hair was nearly the length of his and fell in an almost identical fashion, with wild bangs and a piece to each side of her head that fell in the front.  But that was just about where the similarities ended.

For starters, this girl's hair was blue.  The wind blew her hair back, revealing human ears, though her skin was naturally darker than an ordinary human's.  Her eyes were a radiant purple with very small pupils, and her lips were cherry pink as if they had been colored, though they too were naturally that way.  Her nails were slightly sharper than usual, though there were no youkai fangs in her mouth, for she, like the man she was now sitting next to, was a hanyou.  A koumori [bat] hanyou, to be exact.

The two seemingly one-of-a-kind creatures sat in silence, gazing out at the ocean.  In the distance was a human village situated right at the edge of the water, and at the edge of their vision was a dark cave on a small rocky island.  The cave was abandoned, though long ago it had been the home of the Hyaki Koumori.

"So, Shiori, I take it you like living here?" Inuyasha said finally, breaking the silence between the two hanyou.  She smiled slightly.

"After you and your friends came when I was little, and defeated jiisan [grandfather] and the Hyaki Koumori, the villagers accepted me back," Shiori responded.  "They let me live with okaa and grow up in the village.  I protect it now with my power to create barriers, and they let me live with them as one of them, even though okaa died a long time ago."

"I'm glad," Inuyasha said.  "When I first came here, those humans stirred up bad memories.  You deserve better than them, but I can't tell you what to do."

"You're so kind, Inuyasha-san," Shiori smiled sweetly.  He rose to his feet.

"I'll be leaving now," the inu hanyou announced.  The girl looked up at him, somewhat sad.

"Will you come visit me again?  The villagers…they are nice, but there's no one here who understands me.  Only another hanyou can really understand.  Please, Inuyasha-san?  Will you?"

He gave her a smile.  "I can't promise nothing, kid, but as long as no youkai gets the best of me, I'll do my best to visit again."

She smiled brightly again.  "Arigato, Inuyasha-san."

*          *          *

Sitting high in the branches of a tree, the inu hanyou pondered where to go next.  For the past ten or so years, he'd been traveling the lands checking up on some of those he had helped back when the group had been together searching for the Shikon no Tama shards.  Of course, none of the humans were alive seeing it had been about a hundred years since then, but there were still non-humans he could find again, and Inuyasha had made that his quest for the time being.

He didn't know why, but amidst everyone else he had remembered coming across during their travels, the young hanyou girl, Shiori, had stuck in his mind.  He had easily found her living in the same village she'd been in years before, a grown woman now with impressive powers and a peaceful life.  She had actually remembered him, claiming he looked exactly the same (though shorter it seemed) as he had when she'd been just a child.

The past fifty years of his life had been interesting, to say the least.  He hadn't remained in his forest anymore after Kagome's death, instead leaving his home to his son, Higurashi Yoshiomaru, and going out to seek adventure.

Most of the fifty years had actually been spent with his brother, Sesshoumaru.  Shortly after Kagome's death, the youkai lord's girl, Rin, had also died.  After her passing Sesshoumaru had found his hanyou brother and requested his company in the now silent youkai castle their father had originally sustained.

With all of his claimed hatred towards humans, Sesshoumaru had found Rin to be the one exception, and allowed her to be the only human living in his castle.  The youkai lord and the human girl had shared affections, and had even had what could be considered a relationship similar to being youkai mates or human husband and wife, though it had never been officiated or known of outside of his castle.  They had no children; no matter much Sesshoumaru loved his Rin he would never allow another hanyou to be born in his family.  Rin had understood and had never been upset by this.  She knew he loved her even without having to produce children, and the girl had lived a life no other human girl would have ever lived.

At her death, Sesshoumaru found Inuyasha, and after telling his younger brother of what all had conspired between the youkai lord and his human, he had requested the hanyou's company.  There were no apologies; for the most part the brothers had acted as though the bitterness between them had simply never existed.  The fact of the matter was this – both of them craved a companion after having both lost their mortal lovers, and had found a sort of comfort in each other's presence.  The fact that he'd had a mortal lover made Sesshoumaru somewhat more gentle towards his brother.

After Sesshoumaru took an inu youkai female in order to produce an heir to his lands, Inuyasha had once again began traveling, feeling somewhat uncomfortable in the female's presence.  She had, of course, rejected him, but had pretended to be accepting in order to please her lover.  But Inuyasha knew the truth, as did Sesshoumaru, and they had parted, though none of the tension that had previously separated them existed anymore.  Sesshoumaru had told him that he should try and find another woman; after all, what was the good of living hundreds of years alone?

_I cannot love another woman,_ Inuyasha thought, remembering when his brother had given him that advice.  _I promised Kagome.  She will never be replaced in my heart.  I don't care how many years I live by myself._

Shippou the kitsune was still alive.  He lived in the mountains where he had previously lived with his family, and now had his own family.  Inuyasha hadn't seen him in many decades.  Miroku and Sango were, of course, gone, and their descendants tended the shrine built around the well and the house Inuyasha had built.  The shrine that would exist through Kagome's time, and where Kagome herself would one day be born had been built in front of his eyes.  It was amazing.

The sky turned crimson as the sun set, and Inuyasha sighed.  _Guess I better hunt before it completely sets._  There was another reason why he had wanted to leave Shiori's town so quickly – it was the first day of the month, meaning no moon, and no youkai powers until dawn.  Gracefully, he leapt from the tree, and walked a little ways before arriving at the beach to the ocean.  He was far from Shiori's village, but still at the edge of the water.

In no time, the hanyou had a nice catch of salt water fish, a rare supper for him.  Leaping from rock to rock, he headed out into the ocean, returning to the cliffs where he knew the cave of the former Hyaki Koumori was.  _That abandoned cave will be a good place to rest tonight,_ he thought.  _It'll be safe, and no one will stumble upon me in my human form._

He arrived just as the last shaft of sunlight disappeared, and quickly set about building a fire.  He had to trust Shiori's words that the cave was abandoned, for his sense of smell and superhuman hearing had already abandoned him.  It wasn't long until he felt the familiar shiver take his body, and he closed his eyes and waited calmly for the change to finish.  His silver hair turned pitch black; the soft dog-ears perched on the top of his head migrated to the sides of his face, before turning into human ears.  His fangs and claws disappeared, leaving weak human nails and dull teeth.  When he opened his eyes, they were no longer slitted and gold, but round and dark brown.  When he felt his remaining powers dissolve, he knew the transformation was finished.  He was a human.

Inuyasha cooked his fish, and after filling his belly, rested against a wall of the cave, holding the sheathed Tetsusaiga in his crossed arms and patiently waiting for morning.  He would not sleep; he never did as a human, and never would.  So he simply settled back in a comfortable position and waited out the hours until sunrise.


	11. Mirror Image

**Chapter Eleven**

**Mirror Image**

It was about three hours before dawn when it happened.

Inuyasha had moved to sit right outside of the cave opening, and was watching the waves glitter in the starlight, trying to occupy his mind to stay awake.  His eyes closed for a moment, and he shook himself.  _You can sleep later, stupid!_ He scolded himself, standing and stretching his arms.  Then, he froze in mid-stretch.

There was an unmistakable presence behind him, and it was extremely close to him.  How long it had been there, he had no idea, for without his youkai senses he was practically blind to his surroundings.

Knowing it would do him no good to just stand there and be afraid, he turned towards the presence, and immediately had to look up.  _Kuso,_ he thought, cursing himself under his breath.  There was a monstrous youkai of an unidentifiable type standing directly behind him, glaring down at his pathetically weak human body with glowing red eyes.  It was low-life, but that didn't matter, because at that moment pretty much anything with any power could defeat the temporarily human Inuyasha.

_Has it been in here the whole time?_ He thought, pulling Tetsusaiga from its scabbard.  The sword wouldn't transform, this he knew, but it was at least a weapon.  _There's no way I can jump back to the mainland in this form.  I either have to fight it, or risk swimming back to shore.  In this choppy sea, that's not even an option._

"Brat," the creature bellowed.  "You dare trespass in my territory?"

"Heh, took you long enough to realize I was here!" Inuyasha yelled, sounding far more confident than he felt.

"You kid, you're just a human brat.  Prepare yourself for your doom!"

The creature lunged, and Inuyasha barely leapt to the side fast enough.  _Crap!_ He cursed silently.  _There's no way I'll…_

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a giant clawed foot swiped at him, sending him flying into a cave wall.  He cried out when his back hit the stone, feeling far more pain than usual, and then crumpled to the ground.  Immediately, he pushed himself back to his feet, wincing at the pain in his spine.

"Human brat!" The youkai bellowed, bringing his mouth down on the currently human hanyou.  Inuyasha cried out again as he felt teeth dig into his body, and he was lifted off of the ground, his arms and head hanging from the creature's mouth.

_Well, it worked with Sesshoumaru…_ he thought, before plunging the untransformed Tetsusaiga into the creature's closest eye.  The reaction was instantaneous.

The youkai bellowed, and then leapt from the cave out towards the ocean.  Inuyasha barely had time to take a breath before they plunged into the water, and immediately there was total darkness.

The hanyou turned human barely stopped himself from screaming as the salt water entered the wounds he had received from the creature's teeth, stinging like nothing he'd ever felt before.  A moment later he was suddenly out of the water, still being clutched in the youkai's mouth as it landed heavily on the mainland.  He yanked his sword from the creature's eye, but it still didn't let him go.

The youkai roared, and then leapt high in the air.  When it was above the trees, it suddenly swung its head and opened its mouth, sending Inuyasha flying.

"Crap!" he yelled, looking down to see nothing but trees beneath him.  _I'm gonna die!  I'm gonna hit something and break every bone in this weak body!_

A moment later Inuyasha returned to the earth, breaking several tree branches and landing hard on the ground.  He was unconscious before he could even feel the pain.

*          *          *

It was the tingling sensation of his youkai powers returning to him that finally roused Inuyasha back into consciousness.  He felt like he'd been broken in half; his returned power was quickly healing the gashes he'd received from the giant teeth, but there was something wrong with his back.  It tingled and almost itched, his youkai blood dulling the intense pain he would have felt had he still been in his human form.

"What the…" he muttered, opening his once again golden eyes and squinting in confusion.  He wasn't in the forest; rather, he was in a village hut, and was lying on a bed of straw.  His haori was off, and his off-white shirt was hanging around his waist, still tucked in.  There were wrappings around his waist and chest, covering wounds that were no longer there.  Someone had treated him.

"Where…where the heck am I?" he growled, mostly to himself.  This was definitely not where he'd landed after being thrown by that monster.  His returned senses immediately answered his question.  He was in a human village, not a large one, and nowhere near the ocean where he had been the night before.

Inuyasha attempted to sit up, but was rewarded with a sharp pain that started at his tailbone and went straight to his toes and fingers.  The fall had hurt him badly, though it wouldn't take but a day for his body to completely heal itself.

Cautiously, he propped himself up on his elbows and looked around.  Just as he did so, he heard a faint rustle at the doorway, and a sudden gasp.

"Youkai!" A female voice cried in surprise.  He turned towards the voice, and was suddenly struck with a major sense of déjà vu.  _She is…Kagome?!_

The young woman was the mirror image of his wife from fifty years ago.  She wore the garb of a miko, and her hair was tied back with a white ribbon.  She looked, to him, to be a perfect mixture of Kikyou and Kagome.  It was as if Kagome had dressed in miko clothes and grown her hair to hip length.

"K…Kagome…?" he whispered, his mind thrown in sudden turmoil.  _Her smell is the same.  No, not exactly.  But very, very close._

The miko's eyes were wide from the sudden sight of him, but within moments she had figured it out.  "You must be hanyou," she said, though her look of surprise didn't fade.  "Last night when we found you, we thought you were just a human who had run into a youkai…"

"L…last night…" he repeated, barely registering what she was saying.  His mind was stuck on screaming, "It's Kagome!" and refused to let him think of anything else.  "You…found me?"

She nodded.  "We heard something crash through the forest, and we found you crumpled on the forest floor with broken tree branches all around you.  It wasn't hard to figure out what had happened.  Some of our men carried you back here, and I treated your wounds."

"Oh…"

Inuyasha struggled to come up with something intelligent to say, but his mind was stubbornly one-tracked.  The young miko hadn't moved from the door; and stood holding the curtain to the side looking somewhat cautiously down at him.

"Um…" he started.  _What do I call her?! _ He thought frantically.  _I can't just call her "woman", Kagome always got mad at me when I called her that!_  Fortunately, the years spent with his older brother had given him slightly better vocabulary, and he decided to try it out.

"Um…miko-sama," he finally said, figuring that was safest.  "What…what is your name?"

She finally let the curtain fall behind her, though she didn't walk any closer to him.

"I am Kimiko, the village miko as you guessed correctly," she responded.  "And you are a hanyou who turns human on the first night of the month."

Her words hit him hard, and he suddenly realized just what had happened.  "How many people saw me last night?!" he demanded.  "How many of your villagers know?!"

She smiled, a soft smile that would have made him melt had he not been so anxious to hear her answer.

"Only I and a few of the village men," she responded.  "After all, I needed them to carry you here.  No one has been in this room except me.  Don't worry, hanyou, your secret is still safe."

Again, Inuyasha tried to sit up, and winced as the pain in his back prevented him from doing so.  Propped up on one elbow, he gingerly rubbed his spine with his other hand.

"You are hurt badly, hanyou," Kimiko said.  "I am willing to help you, as long as you give me your word that you will not use your claws on me.  Be warned, I am a powerful miko, and I can subdue you very easily with force if I have to.  Now, will you let me treat you?"

Inuyasha looked into her eyes, the eyes that were unmistakably those of his late wife and of Kikyou before her, and immediately knew that he could never hurt her.  Not when she looked exactly like the two women he had loved.

"I won't hurt you, Kimiko," he said, looking away from her.  A moment later, he felt her touch his shoulders, and his body tingled from the touch.

"Lay back down, hanyou," she instructed.  "I will see to your bandages."

He obediently laid back.  "My name is Inuyasha.  I'd prefer you call me that instead of 'hanyou'."

"Very well, Inuyasha," Kimiko replied, and began working on his bandages.


	12. Can I Stay Here?

**Chapter Twelve**

**Can I Stay Here?**

It was surprising at how quickly the villagers grew accustomed to Inuyasha being there.  Sure, he got stared at, and women wouldn't allow their children near him, but once the majority of the village realized he wasn't going to kill them, they were overall accepting.  Kimiko told him it was because of his blood.

"You're half human," she had explained.  "They fear the youkai in you, but your human side makes them more comfortable with you.  Besides, I've never known any hanyou to be a heartless killer of humans."

It was taking longer than expected for Inuyasha's back to heal from his fall, but within a day he could at least walk again, though somewhat painfully.  He would walk out to the edge of the village and sit against a tree, still unable to jump onto the branches, and would stay there all day thinking about the newest turn of events in his life.

_There's no mistaking her smell,_ he thought, looking back towards the village he could still see in the distance.  _It's just like when I first met Kagome, and thought she smelled like Kikyou.  It's similar, but still a little different._

As he sat pondering this, the subject in his thoughts approached him.  Kimiko had lost her nervousness of being near him for the most part; she still carried her bow and arrows.  _Just like Kikyou did,_ he found himself thinking as the miko walked up to him and sat a small distance away.  _Kikyou never trusted me completely.  Whenever we met she had her bow._

"You are still here, Inuyasha," Kimiko said, looking down at the grass.  She rarely looked at his face, always looking away or down almost in submission.  He had gotten so used to Kagome's straightforwardness that he'd almost forgotten how timid the women of his own time were.

"Is there a problem with me being here?" he asked gruffly, staring intently at her to see if she would look at his face.  Her gaze remained situated on the ground.

"I would have expected such a wild spirit as yourself to be long gone by now.  It can't just be your back keeping you here; if you wanted to leave you would have done so a long time ago despite your injury.  It makes me wonder…"

Her words drifted away, and he found himself straining to hear if she would finish her sentence.  "Wonder what?" he finally asked.  Then, at last, she looked up at him, and he was once again overwhelmed by her eyes.  _So much like Kagome…_ he thought.

"Inuyasha," Kimiko said, her gaze steady on his eyes.  "Do you also seek the Shikon no Tama?"

He nearly had a heart attack.

"Sh…Shikon no…Tama…?" he barely managed to stutter.  _The jewel…it's here?!  But my wish purified it…it should be gone!_

"For as long as I can remember, youkai have been coming to our village demanding the Shikon no Tama," Kimiko told him.  "I defeat them all, but more are always coming.  Is that the reason you are here as well?"

"You…you have the jewel…?!" Inuyasha asked somewhat frantically.  The miko once again resumed her downward gaze.

"The Shikon no Tama is not here," she responded.  "It never was here, not to my knowledge.  But the youkai who attack insist that I have it, and I fear that one day I will be unable to defeat one of them.  I must protect the village from their attacks."

They fell into silence.  Inuyasha's heart had finally stopped trying to jump out of his chest, and he tried to digest this new bit of information.

"So you didn't know of this?" Kimiko asked after a moment.  He shook his head.

"No."  Suddenly, an idea popped in his head that was so good he nearly laughed out loud.  Instead, he looked away from the miko and said, "I'd like to stay with your village, if that's alright."

He felt her gaze return to him, but he didn't look at her.  "Why?" she asked, confused.

"It seems like you've got a lot of trouble going on here.  You need someone strong to help protect this place from the idiots hunting you.  I'm strong, and I've got nowhere else to be."  He stole a glance at her.  "What do you say, Kimiko?"

The girl was rather taken aback by his offer.  "Well, we'll have to talk to the village head about it.  But if you really want to stay, I don't suppose I can stop you."

"Well, it's not like I'll stay in the actual village.  I'd live out here, in the forest.  People like me…we don't feel right being indoors too much.  I'd be a sort of unseen protector."

Kimiko stood, and Inuyasha found himself looking up at her.  He felt his heart beat faster; everything about her made him want to pull her into his arms and never let her go.  _My Kagome…_ he thought, seeing his deceased wife in Kimiko's eyes.  It was painful; in fact, it felt just as it had when he'd first met Kagome and was reminded of Kikyou constantly.

"Come, Inuyasha," Kimiko said.  "We will go talk to the village head."

Almost enchanted, he nodded, before standing and following the miko back to the village.

*          *          *

It was night, and Inuyasha was restless.  He'd been given permission to remain there as long as he didn't cause trouble, and was now sitting on top of a house, his back finally completely healed.  Underneath him inside the structure was the sleeping miko, Kimiko.

He had told her he would remain in the forest, but up until now he hadn't followed up on that.  At night the hanyou always seemed to find himself in this same exact place, knowing he had to protect the village, but feeling more as though he was there to protect the girl who had been so kind to him.  The girl who looked like both of his past loves.

His sensitive ears could hear her breathing below him, and her faint smell made his heart ache.  More than ever, he wanted to embrace her, to hold her close and feel her in his arms.  His mind was confused; his body wanted the girl, but the promise he had made to Kagome's grave held him back.  _I will not let anyone else take her place,_ he thought.  _But somehow…it doesn't feel like Kimiko is someone different.  Everything about her is Kagome._

Noiselessly, he leapt from the roof and hesitantly pulled back the reed curtain over the doorway.  There she was, asleep, this girl who had the power to make his heart flutter.  This girl who looked like Kagome.

Before he knew what he was doing, Inuyasha found himself kneeling beside her, looking down at her face.  He couldn't prevent himself from leaning in closer, placing one hand on each side of her head.  His body seemed to move on its own, regardless to what his mind was telling it, and he soon found his mouth less than an inch away from hers.  His eyes closed, and he began to close the distance between them.

At the faint brush of his lips against hers, Kimiko was immediately awake.  Gasping at the hanyou's face being so close to hers, she acted on immediate instinct, and reached up to grab his arms right below the shoulders, before releasing her purifying holy power.

A blinding light came from her hands, and Inuyasha gasped, falling back.  However, her grip on him remained, and he screamed as her powers tore through his body, ripping through his youki and attempting to purify him.

Kimiko held onto him while he continued to scream in agony, and watched as strands of his silver hair began to turn black.  His eyes, wide open from the pain, began to darken to brown, and a moment later she finally released him.  He slumped to the ground, but before he lost consciousness he saw a glow in the girl's side, one that was very familiar.

_Shikon no…Tama…_ he thought, before falling unconscious.  His hair was now entirely black, and his claws had been reduced to human nails.  Inuyasha was, by all appearances, human.


	13. Story of the Past

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Story of the Past**

When Inuyasha woke, his first thought was, _What the heck happened?_

His body was paralyzed.  He found he could open his eyes and move his mouth, but the rest of his body was unresponsive.  He was once again lying in a hut, staring up at the ceiling.

"Kimiko-sama, Inuyasha is awake!"

The voice came from the doorway.  It was male, and seemed somewhat excited.  Inuyasha tried to lift his head to look up at the speaker, but his neck wouldn't move.  He heard a rustle of cloth and footsteps, and red hakama entered his line of sight.

"So the hanyou is awake."  It was her voice.  Kimiko's voice.  Straining his eyes, he tried to look over towards her, and managed to get a glimpse of his own hair.  It was an eerie half silver, half black, as though he were stuck in mid-transformation to his human form.

"What…" he managed to gasp, glad that at least his voice was working.  The miko sat right out of his sight.

"You are lucky to be hanyou," she told him.  "A true youkai would have been killed by my purification.  Your human blood saved your life."

"What did you do to me?" he growled, sounding not at all threatening.  He could hear her shifting, and wanted to yell at her to move to where he could see her.

"I attempted to purify you," she said simply.  "Your youkai blood had, for the most part, entirely disappeared.  It has been returning slowly over the past four days that you have been asleep.  Your appearance is…strange, to say the least."

He knew she had to be right about that.  His hair was half silver and half black, and his eyes were gold, but not yet slitted.  His ears were on the sides of his head, but were pointed like a normal youkai's ears.  His human nails were pointed but not strong, and his fangs were dull.  He could feel none of his youkai power.

"It will be a few more days before you can move, hanyou," Kimiko said flatly.  Inuyasha cringed inwardly at her refusal to call him by name.  "I will have other villagers taking care of you until you can move on your own.  Don't do anything stupid."

He heard the rustle of cloth, and soon the room felt empty.  _She left,_ he thought sadly, remembering what had taken place before she had shocked him.  _You idiot, Inuyasha.  What happened to your self-control?_

He felt very ashamed of himself for what he'd done.  Kimiko's similarity to Kagome had made him want to touch her, to see if she felt the same as his wife had.  He had actually tried to kiss the girl, and had been purified with holy powers for his stupidity.  _Kikyou shocked me with her holy powers before,_ he remembered.  _But she never held on long enough to entirely purify me._

Inuyasha remembered something similar happening to him before.  When Naraku had hidden himself in the holy barrier at Mount Hakurei, the hanyou had entered the holy ground when his companions, Miroku and Sango, had not returned.  The intense purifying power of the mountain had turned him into a human, and he had remained that way until the holy barrier had been destroyed and his youkai power had returned.  But that experience hadn't hurt as this one had.

In the few days it took for Inuyasha's appearance to stabilize, he was taken care of by numerous village women, but did not see Kimiko again.  When he finally looked normal again the numbness in his body lessened, and he could soon move.

When Inuyasha was finally able to walk again, he shakily left the house he had been in and stiffly walked towards the forest.  His youkai powers had not yet returned, and he knew he would be vulnerable out by himself, but he couldn't stay locked up in that room anymore.  The confinement was driving him insane.

Using Tetsusaiga in its scabbard to steady himself, he walked towards the trees, and suddenly stopped.  Sitting at the base of a tree, as though she were waiting for him, was Kimiko.

The miko didn't look up as the hanyou made his way to her; she didn't blink when he rather ungracefully sat down beside her.

"Oi…" he started.

"You overstepped your boundaries, hanyou," she interrupted, her voice cold.  She still refused to look towards him.

Her words stung, and he looked down at the grass.  _I suppose I was acting rather badly,_ he thought.  _She probably thinks I was going to rape her or something._

"Y…yeah," he said softly.  "I know.  I…"

"You were allowed to stay in the village until you were able to move again.  As soon as your youkai power returns to you, you are no longer welcome here."

Inuyasha closed his eyes, sighing in defeat.  "I'm sorry.  If you would…I mean…um…" He sighed again.  "Can I tell you a story?"

Kimiko's gaze remained straight, but she nodded slightly.  "Go ahead."

Inuyasha hesitated, unsure of just where to start.  _May as well start at the beginning,_ he thought.  He shifted slightly to lean back against the tree more comfortably.

"A very long time ago," he began.  "There was a miko who guarded the Shikon no Tama.  Her name was Kikyou, and she kept the jewel pure.  She had strong spiritual powers, and was a master at the bow."  He paused, the memory of her arrows coming towards him suddenly fresh and painful in his mind.

"At that time, I wanted the Shikon no Tama.  I'm only a hanyou, and I thought the jewel could make me a true youkai, so I could be powerful.  But whenever I got close, Kikyou was always in the way.  She would shoot arrows at me and pin my clothes to trees, but she would never kill me.

"Kikyou and I…we got very close from all the contact we had with each other.  She was different from the other humans, and was kind to me.  But she was very sad, and I found myself wanting to make her happy."

For the first time since he had arrived, Kimiko looked at Inuyasha.  "You loved her."

He nodded.  "I did.  I loved Kikyou, and I wanted to be with her.  To make her happy.  She told me that if I were to wish on the jewel to be a human, the jewel would disappear, and she could be a normal woman, and then we could live together as humans.  I…I would do anything for her.  I thought that if I could be with Kikyou, then I could become a human."

"What happened?" Kimiko asked softly.  Inuyasha looked off in the distance, not wanting her to see the hurt on his face.

"We were tricked.  A creature known as Naraku made us betray each other.  Kikyou used a miko arrow to seal me to a tree in eternal sleep, and then she died.  I later heard that the Shikon no Tama had been burned with her body."

"So you were sealed," the miko said.  "How did you get free again?"

"Fifty years after that happened, a girl appeared out of nowhere.  A girl who looked like Kikyou, but wasn't Kikyou.  Her name was Kagome.  She unsealed me, and the Shikon no Tama was discovered.  It had been inside of Kagome's body.  A few days later, the jewel was shattered, and Kagome and I had to team up to find the shards.

"It was hard, because that same creature who tricked me and Kikyou, that Naraku, was still out there, and was also collecting the shards of the Shikon no Tama.  It was also hard because we had learned that Kagome was actually Kikyou's reincarnation.  They had the same smell, the same appearance, and they both had the Shikon no Tama.  Being with her all the time, I found myself liking her more and more."

"You fell in love with her," Kimiko spoke up again.  "The reincarnation of your first love."

Inuyasha nodded.  "I did, though I didn't admit it for a long time.  After the jewel was put back together, and Naraku was defeated, Kagome became my wife.  We lived the way I would have lived with Kikyou, had children, had a life together.  But human lives…they are so short.  Fifty years ago, my Kagome left me, and I've been alone since then."

Kimiko's face had an expression of both sadness and surprise.  "So both of your loves are gone," she said softly.  "And you have the Shikon no Tama."

He shook his head.  "No.  The jewel was purified when it was completed, and disappeared."

The girl looked confused.  "How did you purify it?"

"I wished on it.  I wished that Kagome would always be with me, and the jewel disappeared."

"But what was the point of that wish?  She loved you too, didn't she?  Wouldn't she have stayed with you?"

He smiled slightly.  "Kagome wasn't from around here.  She came from the future.  My wish made it possible to be with her, and allowed her to always cross time to visit her future family.  If I paid attention to her correctly, Kagome will be born in about four hundred years, and her adventures will start all over again."

Kimiko looked somewhat confused into the hanyou's golden eyes.  "Why are you telling me this, Inuyasha?"

He smiled when she finally said his name again, and turned towards her.

"I wanted you to understand why I did what I did that night," Inuyasha said.  "You see, Kimiko, you look and smell exactly like Kagome and Kikyou, and I'm fairly certain the Shikon no Tama is in your body."


	14. The Hanyou's Eternal Stubborness

**Chapter Fourteen**

**The Hanyou's Eternal Stubbornness**

Kimiko's reaction was almost comical.  Her eyes narrowed, and then widened; she started to say something, but her words wouldn't come out and her voice ended up squeaking.  But the entire show was missed; Inuyasha refused to look at her after his statement.

Nearly a full minute later, she finally found her voice.

"What…what makes you so sure I have the jewel?" she stammered.  His golden eyes turned towards her again.

"When you used your holy power on me," he said.  "After you let go, I saw a glow in your side.  When Kagome first came, and she used holy powers, her body also glowed.  The glow comes from the Shikon no Tama inside of your body."  He smirked.  "I can also sense it slightly.  I didn't spend all that time searching out the shards to not know when it's near."

"So this…this and the likeness I have to your wife…that is why you kissed me?"

He turned away and closed his eyes, still smirking.  "Guess I am just a weak hanyou, huh?  I can't even control my own desires.  You look so much like her, and I wanted to see if you felt like her too."

When his eyes opened again, Kimiko could see the sadness in them.  _He misses her a great deal,_ she thought.  _It must be hard to live so long and fall in love with mortals._

"Inuyasha," she said slowly.  One gold eye cracked open and looked towards her.  "I will see about letting you continue to stay here, in the village."  Both eyes immediately opened, and his face brightened.  "But," she continued, giving him a sharp look.  "If you touch me again, your hanyou lifespan will be drastically shortened.  Understood?"

He swallowed nervously.  _Just like Kikyou,_ Inuyasha thought.  _This girl really must be another reincarnation of her soul._  "Keh, don't worry," he said gruffly, his rude and stuck up mannerisms returning the instant that thought crossed his mind.  "You're nothing like her anyways."

"Which one?  The first miko, or the second?"

"Both!  I can't _believe_ I kissed you!"  He rubbed one hand across his lips as though wiping off any trace of hers from them, his actions and words going the exact opposite way of his mind, as usual.  There was absolutely no way he was going to let this girl know how much he was attracted to her, and if it meant making her loath his presence, then so be it!  _Besides, I promised Kagome!_  He thought.  _But…if she really IS another reincarnation…isn't it the really the same girl?  Would I really be breaking that promise?_

Standing abruptly, Inuyasha stalked out into the forest, ignoring how stiff and aching his body still was.  He would _not_ let her see him limp or stumble.  But once he was out of her sight, he grimaced, and sat down again, leaning against a tree.  _Kuso,_ he thought.  _How much longer am I going to hurt?_

The hanyou stayed out in the forest all day, returning to the village only once the last rays of sunlight had disappeared.  Sighing slightly, he entered the house where he had been being kept during his recovery.  It was dark and empty; obviously no one lived there.  _Probably an extra place for wandering strangers like me,_ he thought, sitting against a wall.  His stomach grumbled, and he suddenly realized he hadn't eaten all day.  _Too much trouble to start a fire,_ he thought, not moving from his seat.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha caught the scent of Kimiko coming towards him.  A moment later she drew back the curtain at the door, and looked in.

"Do you always sit in the dark?" she asked, not moving from the doorway.

"Keh, only weak humans need light all the time," he said, lifting his chin high.  "I prefer the dark."

She smiled slightly at his stubbornness.  "Well, aside from that, would you like dinner?  Unless food is another thing only weak humans need."

His ears twitched at that remark.  _Ohhh, you're learning, woman.  You just wait, I'll have Kagome's fire stirred up in you in no time._

"I guess, if you want me to, I will eat," he said lightly.  Truthfully, his mouth was watering at the mention of food.  He heard her laugh slightly under her breath, and grinned cockily.

"Come with me, Inuyasha," Kimiko said, before turning and walking away.  Carefully, he stood, pleased that his body wasn't as sore now as it had been earlier that day.  He could walk steadily now without the aid of Tetsusaiga, so he slid the sword into his belt and followed the miko.

Soon, he had entered another house, though this one had a very different feel to it than his temporary one.  There was a fire lit, and something that smelled divine cooking in a pot over it.  But Inuyasha was surprised to see no one besides himself and Kimiko in the room.

"You eat alone?" he asked, curious.  She smiled, and he couldn't stop his heart from fluttering.

"Not normally," she responded.  "Some of the men have just returned from war, so the ladies I normally dine with are with their husbands again.  I guess tonight, it's just you and I, Inuyasha."

He hmphed, before pulling Tetsusaiga from his belt and dropping to the ground in his traditional cross legged style.  He crossed his arms around his sword, and stared across the fire at the girl on the other side.

Their gazes focused on each other, and for a long time neither of them looked away.  Inuyasha felt his cheeks flush, and was suddenly glad for the fire.  Maybe she would think it was the heat that had reddened his cheeks.  _Yeah, right,_ he thought, finally looking away from the girl he seemed to want more every minute.  A moment later, she filled two bowls with stew, and handed him one along with chopsticks.

Tasting the food, Inuyasha nearly groaned in delight.  _Good cook,_ he thought, resisting the urge to wolf it all down in one gulp – another thing living with his brother had taught him was semi-good manners.  Instead, he tried to savor it, and his bowl was empty far too soon.

"Would you like more?" Kimiko asked, grinning slightly as she watched him stare at his empty bowl as though it would somehow become full again if he looked at it hard enough.  Immediately the bowl was shoved into her hands, and she laughed slightly.  As she handed it back to him, he suddenly tensed.

"There's a youkai nearby," he stated, before leaping to his feet.  Suddenly, he felt a tug on his sleeve.

"You can't go out and fight it now, Inuyasha," Kimiko told him.  "Your powers haven't returned yet."

"Heh, maybe not," he said, drawing Tetsusaiga.  "But I still have my sword, and as long as there's youkai blood in me it will transform!"

Sure enough, the fang responded to his command, though it seemed heavier than usual.  The hanyou then bolted from the house, running towards where his nose was telling him to go.

Almost immediately, he heard cries of "Youkai!" ring through the air, and he increased his speed, running almost as fast as he normally could.  Suddenly, before him appeared the creature – another of those accursed centipedes that seemed to be everywhere.  It spotted him immediately, and turned to meet him.

Leaping into the air, Inuyasha yelled as he swung the Tetsusaiga forcefully, easily tearing the youkai apart.  Centipede pieces rained down to the ground, and without a word the hanyou sheathed his sword, turned, and headed back the other direction as the villagers stared at him in awe.

He saw Kimiko standing among them, her bow in hand with an arrow cocked towards where the youkai had last been.  She, too, stared after him, but he ignored them all, and had soon disappeared into the dark house where he was temporarily residing, all thoughts of more dinner gone from his mind.

The moment he was out of sight, the hanyou winced.  _Crap,_ he thought, letting himself down to the ground.  _I didn't expect it to be so hard to wield Tetsusaiga without my strength.  My arms are killing me._

*          *          *

Try as she might, Kimiko could not sleep that night.

The thoughts running through her head were endless, and no matter how hard she tried, those slitted golden eyes, so obviously not human yet at the same time, so intense, would not disappear from her mind.  _Such pain in those eyes,_ she thought, recalling the look on Inuyasha's face as he told her about his dead wife.

She remembered how he had looked when she had first found him.  Lying amidst broken tree leaves, he had looked like any normal human man, and so, thinking he was one, she had treated him the way she would a human.  Unlike most young women in her village, she was not embarrassed to see a man without his shirt, and had promptly removed his in order to treat his wounds.

Recalling the shock she had felt upon seeing him the next morning, his hair now silver with curious dog-ears poking up at the top of his head, Kimiko smiled slightly.  Hanyou certainly were curious creatures, and Inuyasha had proved that point many times over.

Frowning slightly, Kimiko remembered the night when she had woken at the touch of his lips to hers.  Her eyes had opened to see his face directly above hers, and though the contact had been very brief with resulting pain on his side, she could still remember the feel of his lips on hers.  As a miko, she had never been touched so intimately by a man before; now that she thought about it, she had rarely been touched by a man at all, keeping them all at arms-length.

For the days he had remained unconscious, she had been furious at him for being so forward towards her.  But after hearing his story, hearing of his losses and the trials of his life, she found she could no longer despise him as she wanted to.  _He claims I look and smell exactly like his wife,_ Kimiko thought, pondering this.  _If what he says is true, if the Shikon no Tama is truly in my body as it had been in hers, could it be that I am just another of her reincarnations?  If I am…if it is true…then my soul is the same soul of that hanyou's wife, and the woman he loved before her._

Almost unconsciously, Kimiko rose to her feet and walked out of the house.  Her feet took her straight to the structure in which she knew the hanyou was, or was supposed to be if he hadn't run off.  _What am I doing?_ she thought, and her feet stopped moving.  She was close enough now to feel his somewhat still weak youki; an unexpected pang of guilt erupted in her.  She had done this to him; she had taken his youkai blood from him and nearly destroyed him, and why?  Because his love for his wife was so great that he had been unable to stop himself from touching a girl who looked like her.  That was all it had been – a touch, nothing more.  A rather intimate touch for someone as pure as she, but just a touch.

_Am I being unfair to him?_ Kimiko thought.  Her hand reached forward and slowly pulled back the curtain over the doorway.  There he sat, legs and arms crossed with his sword held protectively to his chest, his head hanging down as he slept in the awkward position.  A second later, she saw his gold eyes open, glowing slightly as only an animal's eyes could.

"What do you want, woman?" Inuyasha asked gruffly but quietly, looking at her through his bangs.  "Go back to your own house."

For a moment, he saw her smile at him, before letting the curtain drop back in place and leaving him once again alone.


	15. I, Sesshoumaru

**Chapter Fifteen**

**I, Sesshoumaru**

"I know you're there, Inuyasha."

Dog-ears twitched.

"Why don't you come down?"

Standing at the edge of the planting fields, Kimiko stood looking up into the branches of a tree.  There was a flash of red, and the hanyou landed on the ground before her.

"You've been watching me," she said lightly.  "I'm flattered."

Inuyasha crossed his arms.  "Keh!  With you just walking around everywhere carrying the jewel, you never know when someone's gonna attack you.  Pretty stupid on your part to wander around alone like this.  _Someone's_ gotta watch you."

She gave him a small smile.  "I'm sorry I worry you, Inuyasha."

The hanyou's cheeks flushed.  "Heh, you don't worry me woman."  He turned and leaned back against the tree he'd been in previously, ignoring her.  _His attitude is so unpredictable,_ Kimiko thought.  _He acts so gruff and rough sometimes, but other times I can tell he wants to touch me again.  What is the key to his heart?  What is the real Inuyasha?_

For the past week the hanyou had been like a true forest spirit – disappearing for hours without a trace, and suddenly returning to stir up the villagers, or simply sit on the roof of a house and watching everyone.  His behavior reminded her almost of a shrine Kami; he was the village guardian, and it was obvious from the display that first night with the centipede and others after that how seriously he took this duty.

"Where do you go for so long?" she had asked him once after he had disappeared for an entire day, returning at sunset.  He had turned his nose up at her.

"Places," was his response.  "I'm a busy man."

Kimiko knew the truth was that he never strayed far from the village.  She could always feel his youki nearby even when he was gone for hours at a time.  Inuyasha was remarkably good at not being seen, but he couldn't hide his presence.

At night Inuyasha stayed in the trees at the village outskirts.  Many times Kimiko had asked him to stay in the village at night, but he refused.  He knew that if he did, he would stay on a roof for he hated being indoors, and it would most likely be her roof, and he would be able to smell her and hear her all night.  He didn't want another incident to happen.

Kimiko began to walk, and Inuyasha returned to the trees, leaping from branch to branch and staying slightly in front of her.

"You're an odd creature, Inuyasha," she said as she walked.  He paused, and glared down at her.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Don't take offence, I meant nothing bad by it."  He snorted and continued tree-hopping.  "It's just strange, because…don't jump there!"

"Huh?"

His foot touched the branch of another tree, and in a split second the tree had come alive.  Surprised, Inuyasha tried to leap away, but soon found himself hanging upside down from its branches, which had wrapped themselves around one of his legs.

"Whoa!" he shouted, kicking his legs.  "Hey, what the…"

Kimiko drew an arrow, and shot the trunk of the tree.  Immediately, the branches released and straightened back to their original positions, dropping the hanyou.  He landed on his hands and flipped onto his feet, and then gave the tree the nastiest look he could possibly make.  Kimiko laughed slightly when she heard him growling.

"It's a youkai tree," she explained.  "It will capture and hold anything that touches it, and no amount of youkai power and strength can break free of its branches.  Had I not been here, you would have been unable to get free."

"Why is it here?!" Inuyasha growled, extremely ticked off at this creature that had captured him so easily.

"Calm down, Inuyasha.  When the creatures who are after the Shikon no Tama come, this is the direction they come from most often.  We had the tree planted here purposely to capture the ones coming this direction.  It has helped greatly, for as you've seen, the only way to make it release its victim is with a miko arrow, or by destroying the tree altogether."  She grinned.  "I would suggest leaving it alone from now on."

"Keh," he muttered.  "You could have warned me sooner instead of waiting until I was on top of the stupid thing.  Any more surprises I should be prepared for?"

"No, I think you can handle the rest.  Come on, let's return to the village."

As they walked away, neither took notice of the pair of golden eyes watching them from a carefully chosen patch of forest that was downwind of the hanyou's good nose.  The slitted golden eyes watched with little emotion as the pair walked away, and then faded back into the forest.

"Hmm.  Interesting."

*          *          *

Kimiko walked through the village, her spirit feeling rather unsettled about something.  It was night, and rather late, so she was the only person out.  She could sense Inuyasha but barely; he was on the other side of the village somewhere in the forest, and the fact that he had not shown up showed that he had no idea she was awake and out walking.  That was not what was troubling her.

_This feeling of youki,_ she thought.  _I felt it earlier today as well.  Then I had dismissed it, for I had been with Inuyasha.  But this time, it is unmistakably near, and very powerful.  It feels somewhat like Inuyasha's youki, though different at the same time.  Almost as if it were stronger._

Walking through the sleeping village, Kimiko wished she had the hanyou's enhanced senses.  As a human she could neither smell nor hear anything dangerous if it were there; her miko training was all she had, allowing her to sense youki that she knew was out there, and very close by.  Shuddering slightly, she clutched her bow closer and continued to search out the feeling.  A moment later she paused, closed her eyes, and then turned to look out towards the forest.  There, gazing intently at her through the trees, were sharp golden eyes that were extremely familiar.

_Inuyasha?_ Kimiko thought, confused.  _No, it's not him.  I can feel him on the other side of the village.  A relative perhaps?_

Very faintly, she heard a rustle, and saw a flash of long silver hair and a metallic reflection from the moon, possibly from armor.  In an instant, she readied her bow, aiming directly for the creature.

"Don't move, youkai," she said.  "I know you're there.  If you move, I will kill you."

The eyes staring at her showed no hint that he had heard her.  Kimiko heard another rustle, and faintly saw white cloth moving.  A second later, her arrow was released.

In a blurred movement, the youkai caught her arrow inches before his face.  She gasped as his hand briefly glowed green, and her arrow dissolved.  Quickly, she readied another one, but the moment her hand touched it he spoke.

"Foolish human.  Do you think a mere miko's arrow could damage this Sesshoumaru?  You truly are a fool."

Before she could think, let alone move, the youkai flew forward, and for an instant she could see him.  His eyes and hair, so similar to Inuyasha's, were the only resemblance, for this creature was obviously no hanyou and cared nothing for a weak human's life.  Especially one who had shot an arrow at him.

His right hand began to glow again, and as he lifted it up a shriek pierced the night.

"_Sesshoumaru!"_

A blur of red and silver raced towards them as the poison whip began to form on Sesshoumaru's fingertips.  Inuyasha willed himself to run faster as he watched the whip begin to arch towards Kimiko, who stared up at his brother in shock and terror.  Time seemed to slow as Inuyasha, in a final burst of speed, leapt between his brother and the miko, and the poison whip went straight through his torso.  The hanyou cried out, and fell to the ground between them, blood seeping from his clothes.

Shocked, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened almost unnoticeably, and he immediately retracted his hand.  The whip disappeared, and he landed softly on the ground a few feet from his wounded brother.  Kimiko stood on the other side of him, breathing heavily as she noticed her clothes splattered with Inuyasha's blood.

"Fool," Sesshoumaru said.  "Always willing to risk your life for a human."

Inuyasha's body shuddered, and he painfully forced himself to his knees, and then to his feet.  Turning towards his brother, he gasped, "Don't…don't you hurt her.  Just leave me alone."

"Save your heroic speeches, Inuyasha.  I had not meant to slay you.  That wound is your own fault."

"Go back to your castle, Sesshoumaru."

"Inuyasha, you're hurt badly," Kimiko said worriedly from behind him.  "You shouldn't be standing…"

"Ursai!" he shouted, looking over his shoulder.  "Get out of here, Kimiko."

"Inuyasha…"

"GO!"

The girl backed up from him, but didn't run.  Clutching her bow, she stared at the figure in white who had so easily ran Inuyasha through.

"Don't you think you should listen to her, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru said.  "My whip is not an easy thing to survive, and it went straight through you."

"Ursai, Sesshoumaru.  Go away."

"Foolish hanyou.  You really should listen to your aniki [older brother] from time to time."

Kimiko's eyes widened.  _Aniki?!  This Sesshoumaru…is related to Inuyasha?  I see the resemblance, but he's a full youkai._

"You have no room to tell me what to do," Inuyasha spat.  "Not when the wound was caused by your own hands."

For a moment, the youkai's gaze flickered.  "I told you already, I had no intention of harming you."

"Keh, you always did before."

"Yes, before we lived together in peace for years.  You should know by now, I am no longer after your life Inuyasha.  I no longer hate you."

"Why are you here then?!" Inuyasha shouted, though a waver in his voice betrayed him.  He was close to collapsing; his blood had seeped through his clothes and was forming a puddle under his feet.  He held one arm to his wound, willing himself to stay standing and conscious.

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said calmly.  "Now is not the time to talk.  Allow your miko to treat you; it is not below you to seek the help of a human.  When you are healed, I shall then talk with you."

"And what will you do until then?  Slaughter the people of the village?  Go back home, Sesshoumaru."

The youkai blinked, and held his head high.  "I will not touch your village.  But I will not leave."  He turned and began to walk away.  "Find me when you are healed, Inuyasha."

"Wait, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled after him.  "Aniki!"  He was answered by silence; his brother was gone.  Staring into the darkness, the hanyou's vision blurred, and he finally fell.

*          *          *

A/N – I realize that in the show, Inuyasha would have never called Sesshoumaru "aniki".  This is taking place after they lived together for many, many years, and no longer hate each other.  Sometime during those years, Inuyasha began to respect him, and so in my story he will call him "aniki" from time to time.


	16. Brothers

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Brothers**

Inuyasha awoke to find himself staring at a familiar ceiling.  _Why is it that the entire time I've been here, I've been injured in some way?_ He thought, sitting up.  His stomach was bandaged, but his body was nearly healed, though it was taking longer than an ordinary wound.  The poison in the whip was a little more difficult for his body to take care of.  Fortunately, this wasn't the first time he'd been poisoned, so he'd built up a somewhat weak immunity towards it.

"Ah, you are awake," Kimiko said, entering the room.  "Your wound is healing nicely.  You should be able to go out some time later today."

"Is the village ok?" Inuyasha asked as she knelt beside him.

"It is the same as it was before your aniki arrived.  I have not seen him since he departed, though I can feel his youki nearby."

"Good," Inuyasha sighed.  _Sesshoumaru kept his word.  He didn't harm the village._

"You didn't tell me you had any family, Inuyasha," Kimiko said as she began unwrapping his wound.  "You mentioned children, but none other than that."

"Eh, Sesshoumaru's nothing to talk about, really," Inuyasha huffed.  "He's got his way of things, and I've got mine, and the two rarely go together."

"He is a true youkai."

Inuyasha lowered his eyes.  "Yeah."

"His name, Sesshoumaru is it?  I think I've heard it before."

"Your village is in his lands.  He likes to be known."

Kimiko began wrapping new bandages around Inuyasha's torso.  "I take it the two of you don't get along?"

Inuyasha shrugged.  "Eh, he's ok.  Better than he used to be.  At least he's not purposely trying to kill me anymore.  Now he's just accidentally poisoning me."

Kimiko smiled.  "I'll let you rest now.  You should be ok soon."

She walked out, and Inuyasha crossed his arms behind his head and laid back.  _What have you come for this time, aniki?_ He thought.  _There isn't anything between us anymore.  What do you want?_

All too well, the hanyou remembered the insults and near fatal injuries he'd suffered in past meetings with his youkai brother.  Rarely had Sesshoumaru been injured; true, he had lost his arm, and had suffered the bite of the Kaze no Kizu, but that hardly made up for all he had done to Inuyasha.

_"You and I are simply **not** in the same class.  You dirty little hanyou!"_

Sesshoumaru's words rang in his memory loud and clear.  All his life he'd been insulted, yelled at, hurt, and nearly killed simply because of what he was.  Fifty years ago, when Kagome had still been alive, Inuyasha would not have hesitated to destroy his brother for all the pain he had caused him.  But now…

_…Now things have changed,_ he thought.  _Sesshoumaru doesn't fight me anymore.  He acts like none of that ever happened between us._

Inuyasha had been startled, to say the least, when the youkai had come to him and requested his company.  He didn't know why he'd agreed; every part of him screamed it was a deception, but still he had gone with his brother, and had found out many surprising things about Sesshoumaru that he had never known.  To say they had grown close would be a great exaggeration; it was more as if they'd found a sort of peace together after all the years of spite and hatred.

_And then that stupid female came into his life,_ Inuyasha thought angrily.  Sesshoumaru's youkai mate had loathed him, taking every chance she got to taunt him and tell him how worthless he was.  She was the subject of many bad memories, one of which surfaced in his mind.

~*~Flashback~*~

Inuyasha ran.

How long he had been running, he did not know.  His sides ached; his lungs burned.  His bare feet were torn bloody from sticks, rocks, and other sharp objects on the forest ground.  He was near collapsing, but still, he ran.

Had it been any other night of the month, those simple things would not have mattered.  He would not be out of breath, nor would his feet be sore.  He wouldn't have even been on the ground; instead he would be flying through the trees at a much faster pace than he was currently running.  But tonight was the first night of the month, and the human Inuyasha was unable to do such things.

He'd been annoyed earlier that evening when Sesshoumaru had departed, saying there was a suspicious smell in his lands that he had to investigate.  Even on normal nights, Inuyasha didn't like being left alone with that woman, for the moment her mate was gone she would start the name calling, and would try and provoke him into fighting her.  A wicked woman she was; Inuyasha hated her.

When his brother had departed before sundown, the hanyou had hidden himself away in a dark, older section of the castle that was unused.  Sesshoumaru knew of his human secret; it was that female he was worried about, and without his brother there to keep her in her place, Inuyasha didn't want to find out what she would do if she found him as a human.

Soon after his transformation, she had come looking for him.  His changed human scent had confused her at first, but her inu youkai nose was keen, and he'd soon been discovered, as well as his secret.

She had laughed at him; laughed and laughed until he thought for a moment that she's just keep laughing and he'd get off easy.  But then, she had given him a wicked grin, and told him to run.  If he didn't, she said, she'd slay him right there.  So he had run, and she had pursued like a predator hunting its prey.

Inuyasha knew what she was doing.  After all, he'd been the predator before, laughing as some weak animal ran from him, and eventually collapsed, unable to run any farther.  He knew what it felt like to be a predator.  But he was the prey this time, and she would hunt him until he fell from exhaustion.

The idea of fighting her was insane.  In his normal form, she would be no problem, but as a human he had no chance.  His brother had chosen a strong mate, and she could destroy him with barely an effort in his weakened state.

So now he ran, and hours of night went by.  He cursed his weak human blood, his exhausted body, everything about him that had brought him into this situation.  He was furious at his inability to do anything.  His legs shook; he couldn't go much farther, but if he stopped, she would kill him.

Inuyasha could hear her following him.  He could hear her laughter every time he stumbled, could hear every insult she flung at him as she tirelessly pursued her prey.  Part of him wondered where the heck his brother was at that moment; he should be there to restrain his woman instead of off wherever he was.

Finally, his legs collapsed, and he lay panting and cursing every obscenity he knew.  He heard the woman's footsteps behind him, and then the rustle of cloth.  Looking up, he saw she had drawn her whip.

Her whip was unlike Sesshoumaru's, for it was leather and kept in her clothes rather than poison from fingertips.  Whenever she played with Inuyasha, she used this whip, much like Sesshoumaru had when they had long ago been enemies.

She flicked her wrist, and the whip cracked across Inuyasha's back, causing him to cry out as his clothing tore.  Pushing himself to his knees, he tried to crawl away, but was sent to the ground as the burning pain lashed across his back once more.

"You stupid, stupid, hanyou," she practically purred.  "You lie helpless in that weak human body, and are completely at my mercy."

Lifting his head, he glared daggers at her.  "Just kill me," he growled.  "Nothing's stopping you."

"Oh, but what shall I tell your aniki?" she asked sweetly.  Then, she gave him a deadly smile.  "I'll just have to say that you tried to leave his castle as a human, and were attacked during your flight."  The whip cracked over him again, and he felt blood running down his back.  "How does that sound, hanyou?"

Looking up into her face, his dark brown eyes were full of poison.  "_Burn in hell."_

The woman returned her whip to her clothing, and cracked her knuckles.  "You first."

She flung a powerful attack at him, and he closed his eyes.  A moment later, when nothing touched him, he opened them again, and was shocked to see white hakama, though somewhat torn, in front of him.

"A…aniki…" he stammered.  Sesshoumaru ignored him, instead focusing his intense gaze on the woman who was supposed to be his mate.

"Se…Sesshoumaru!" she exclaimed, startled.

"You have overstepped your bounds," he said darkly.  "This Sesshoumaru cannot ignore this night."

Fearfully, she bowed her head deeply.  "Please forgive me, Sesshoumaru…"

"If you were not carrying my heir, I would dispose of you right here," he interrupted.  "But let it be known, that if you attempt such a thing again, child or no child, I _will_ kill you."

She took a step back.  "Y…yes…Sesshoumaru-sama…"

"Return to my castle, and do not depart from your chambers until I come to you."

"But…Sesshou…"

"I am your lord, and you will do _exactly_ what I say.  Now you _will_ return, and you _will_ remain, is that clear?"

Bowing her head again, she softly said, "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama."

When she had gone, Sesshoumaru turned his head.  "Can you walk, Inuyasha?"

"If I could would I be lying here?" the hanyou spat, looking altogether ticked and very frustrated.

When Sesshoumaru turned, Inuyasha's expression changed.  The front of his hakama was torn to shreds, and the white material was stained with blood.  _The attack she sent at me,_ Inuyasha thought.  _He took it in my place._

Sesshoumaru knelt beside him, and firmly placed his hand on Inuyasha's waist.  He then effortlessly pulled him up, wrapping his arm around his waist.

"You will have to hold onto me," Sesshoumaru said.  "I have only one arm to hold you."

Inuyasha gripped his brother's armor, and the youkai stood, effortlessly pulling the hanyou to his feet.  Leaning heavily on his brother, Inuyasha stood, and they slowly began to walk back towards the castle.

"Curse this human body," Inuyasha muttered, looking up for any signs of dawn.  "Curse it all to hell."

Sesshoumaru said nothing, but held him strongly, supporting his weight with little effort.  For a long time they walked, and neither said anything.

That night would always remain a memory for both brothers.  Inuyasha's running had taken him far from the castle, and dawn was still hours away.  In the darkness they walked together, Sesshoumaru with his arm around Inuyasha's waist, and Inuyasha clutching to the youkai's armor.  The hanyou turned human was exhausted; he wanted nothing but to fall asleep, and a few times his eyes closed and he slumped heavily against his brother's side.  Sesshoumaru never said a word; he simply kept his eyes forward and concentrated on getting back home.

The forest began to lighten as they came in sight of the castle, and Inuyasha looked with tired brown eyes up at the coming dawn.

"Stop for a moment," he said a few minutes later, and his brother halted his steps.

"Nande, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking down at him.

"Just, hang on a sec."

Then, he looked up at his brother's face, and Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he saw Inuyasha's eyes began to glow red.  He felt the swirl of his brother's youki as it returned to him, and watched as his black hair lightened to silver, and his human ears migrated to the top of his head and became pointed dog ears.  Inuyasha's body trembled slightly at the transformation, and Sesshoumaru felt every tremor.

Soon, the glow in the hanyou's eyes faded.  Golden eyes locked onto golden eyes, and Inuyasha released his grip on his brother's armor.

"I can stand on my own now," he said.  Sesshoumaru removed his arm from his waist, and Inuyasha flexed his claws and swiveled his ears slightly, as though readjusting to his real body.

As they walked the remaining short distance to the castle, Sesshoumaru stayed behind, looking at his brother as if he'd never seen him before.  He had seen his youkai form and his human form, but never before had he seen the transformation from human to hanyou.  Remembering how he had found his brother earlier that night, lying beaten and exhausted on the forest floor with black hair framing his face and frightened human eyes, Sesshoumaru for the first time really realized just what his hanyou brother had to go through in his life.

~*~End Flashback~*~

Both brothers had changed that night.  Inuyasha knew he could trust his brother; that night had proved that Sesshoumaru truly did not hate him.  He'd even gone so far as to threaten the woman who carried his child for Inuyasha's sake.

_What are you up to, aniki?_ Inuyasha thought.

*          *          *

A/N – This chapter was an afterthought, written after the rest of the story was completed.  I woke up this morning with that scene in my head of human Inuyasha being attacked and helped by Sesshoumaru, and spent the morning mentally putting this together and then about two hours writing it and making it fit in the story.

            Oh, and about the memory Inuyasha has of Sesshoumaru screaming at him, "You and I are simply **not** in the same class.  You dirty little hanyou!"  This isn't in the show; it's from manga volume 13, right after Sesshoumaru blinds Inuyasha and before Inuyasha figures out the Kaze no Kizu.


	17. Sacrifices

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Sacrifices**

Sesshoumaru stood silently, gazing into the distance as the breeze played with his hair.  His left sleeve rustled in the wind; he remained, to that day, lacking an arm, though so many years had passed he barely noticed the disability.

It was hard to believe that this tall and regal creature was the youkai lord Sesshoumaru from years past.  His stature and clothing had not changed, though his white kimono was now patterned with blue instead of red, and his sash was now also blue with streaks of white.  He wore his old armor, and still carried his two swords of opposite nature – the healing sword Tenseiga, and the sword of destruction Toukijin.  To simply look at him, one would not have noticed any differences besides the slight color change in his clothing.  But inside, his mind was very different.

The youkai lord who had loathed humans for so very long, who had attempted many a time to destroy his younger hanyou brother because of his tainted blood and had not thought twice about slaughtering any human in his way, had allowed himself to fall in love with a human.  Sesshoumaru told himself that Rin was different; she did not fear him, instead showering him with all of her affection.  Certainly as an adult she was not a typical woman, for having been raised by a youkai she was much more wild and spirited.  Had she grown up with her own kind, Sesshoumaru had no doubt that she would be the same as the rest of the humans, but his presence hovering over her had made her different.  He liked that difference.

Living with Rin during her short human life had softened Sesshoumaru's heart towards humanity.  He still felt them beneath him, and if one got in his way he would kill it, but that was his way with all creatures, not just humans.  He would do the same to any youkai who annoyed him.  But his heart was still softened, and he found he could no longer hate his brother for what he was.

The years spent living with Inuyasha after Rin's death had been quite an experience for both the youkai and the hanyou, though the more time they were together, the more fond Sesshoumaru had become of his brother, though it was not obvious in any way.  Now, he felt almost lonely without the stubborn hanyou constantly making racket and bringing chaos to his quiet castle.

Of course, now there was a new occupant who brought equal chaos into his life.

Sesshoumaru sensed Inuyasha's arrival, and the youkai continued to stand where he was, seemingly oblivious to the hanyou standing behind him.

"So this is where you have been hiding," Sesshoumaru said evenly.

"Hmph."  Inuyasha snorted, looking at his brother's back.  "Who said I was hiding?"

He was answered by silence, and began to grow edgy.  "Look, is there a reason for this visit, or did you just come to say hi?"

At that, Sesshoumaru turned towards him.  "I've come to invite you home again."

Inuyasha frowned.  "You mean to your castle?  Heh, in your dreams.  Your woman hates me, remember?"

The youkai cocked an eyebrow.  "My 'woman' as you call her no longer resides with me.  She was…discharged."

"What's this?  You talk like she was a piece of property or something.  I wouldn't let her hear you say stuff like that, _aniki_."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly in annoyance.  Inuyasha smirked.

"So you lost your lover and have come crawling to find me again, is that right?  Just can't stand to live alone since Rin died, can you, mighty Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The youkai's eyes narrowed further at the dead human's name, and when he spoke it was with restraint.  "I was going to offer you a home again, but it seems now you have found another human to play games with.  You must be destined to corrupt every miko you meet."

The remark stung, and Inuyasha looked away.  "Kimiko…" he said softly.  "I think she's Kagome's reincarnation.  If she is…" _…then I can't stop myself from loving her,_ he finished in his mind.

Sesshoumaru turned away, and the brothers stood in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.  _If Kimiko is Kagome, then I can love her,_ Inuyasha thought.  _That wouldn't be breaking my promise.  And since she has her soul, she'll eventually love me back._

Finally, Sesshoumaru turned to face his brother.  "You are a fool," he stated.  "In all of your years, you never learned not to fall in love with humans."

"I seem to recall you falling in love with a human once, aniki," Inuyasha said quietly.  He could practically feel his brother's youki swirling around him in anger.

"That I did," Sesshoumaru admitted finally.  He turned his eyes away from his brother, refusing to look at him.  "Who you chose as a mate is your own decision.  But remember how short a mortal life is, Inuyasha."

"There's also the matter of the Shikon no Tama."  Sesshoumaru glanced at him. "Kimiko has it.  It's in her body, and I'm not about to get it out.  But she needs a lot of protection, and…"

"You truly are a fool," Sesshoumaru interrupted.  "Do you have any idea what could happen?"

Inuyasha looked at him blankly.

"If this is a reincarnation before your mate, it means the jewel surfaced first in her and then later in the body of your Kagome.  In this miko, the jewel must remain pure, for if it does not, your past lover will be born in the future with a corrupted jewel inside of her, and she herself will be corrupted.  If you fall in love with this miko, or rather, if she falls in love with you…"

"…she will be soiled," Inuyasha realized.  "And the jewel will be corrupted, and Kagome will be born corrupt instead of pure."

"And our past will be drastically changed.  It is bad enough the jewel came into the world through her in the first place.  It would be many times worse if the jewel came corrupted."

Inuyasha punched a tree trunk, frustration radiating off of him.  "I can't corrupt the jewel or Kagome!  What do I do?!"

"Come home with me, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said.  "Leave this village, and this miko.  If you leave, she will never love you, and she and the jewel will remain pure."

Inuyasha suddenly glared at his brother.  "Why do you care anyways?  This will all affect me!"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.  "I lived the same story, and fought Naraku as well.  Do you think you would be the only one affected by this?  This would change everything, not just your life and your Kagome."

The hanyou's shoulders slumped in defeat.  "Then I guess…I guess I have no choice, do I?  I can't risk changing the past.  I…I can't let her love me."

_Besides, it's not like I had any feelings for her,_ he thought.  _But, if not…why do I feel so heartbroken suddenly?_

*          *          *

"Where is he?" Kimiko said to herself, growing more and more worried with every moment that passed.  It had been hours since Inuyasha had ran off into the forest, demanding that she stay behind.  The sun was beginning to set, and still she couldn't feel his youki anywhere.

Entering her house, Kimiko was surprised to see a torn piece of paper lying on the wooden floor.  Picking it up, she saw that it was a note written by someone with poor penmanship who was apparently in a hurry.  The words seemed to blur together, but she could still read it.

"Do a good job of protecting the jewel.  Sayonara, miko-sama."

It was signed, "Hanyou".

Kimiko stared at the paper, a million thoughts running through her head at once.  There was no doubt about what was meant by the message; Inuyasha was gone, leaving on the same note he had arrived on with the names they had given each other.  It was obvious he was not going to return.

_But why?_ She thought, unable to tear her gaze from the sloppy characters on the paper.  _He seemed happy.  He wanted to protect us.  Why would he just leave?_


	18. Bonded Souls

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Bonded Souls**

The brothers approached the western castle that evening, and immediately Inuyasha's nose caught the scent of another inu youkai.  "Oi, Sesshoumaru, who…"

He stopped in mid sentence as the owner of the scent came into view.  A young youkai boy ran towards them, long silver hair flying behind him and slitted light blue eyes open wide at the sight of the newly arrived pair.  A red stripe covered each eyelid, and on his wrists were two magenta stripes.  He wore a white haori, a purple vest patterned with white leaves, and dark blue hakama.

A look of delight lit up his face as he ran towards them, and then Inuyasha heard him shout the last thing he'd ever expected.

"Chichi-ue!  You're back!"

_Ch…chichi-ue?_ Inuyasha thought, shocked.  _This kid…is Sesshoumaru's?_

Sesshoumaru watched with his usual blank expression as his son ran to him and took his sash in his hands.

"Toshiomaru," he said, looking down at the child.  "Did you behave?"

"Ah, yes I did!  But I think Jaken has gotten in trouble." Toshiomaru looked curiously at Inuyasha.  "Who is that, chichi-ue?"

"Your uncle, Inuyasha.  He will live here now." The brothers exchanged a quick glance, before Sesshoumaru looked down again.  "Continue what you were doing before I arrived.  I shall see to Jaken's latest mess."

Toshiomaru released his father's sash, and Sesshoumaru began to walk away, leaving the boy standing with Inuyasha.

"Oi, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled after him, annoyed at being so quickly ignored.  Without a glance, his brother replied,

"You have lived here before, Inuyasha, I do not need to cater to you.  I have more important tasks to tend to."

He disappeared, and a moment later, the young youkai looked up at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha-sama," he said.  The hanyou looked down.

"Nani?"

"Why do you have funny ears?"

Inuyasha sighed.  _This is gonna be a long day._

*          *          *

Inuyasha sat high in the branches on a tree overlooking his brother's rather empty castle.  This particular tree had been his favorite when he had lived there previously, and he had been glad to see it was still exactly how he'd left it.

Looking off at the sunset, he sighed mentally.  _Kimiko…_ He didn't realize how much he had already fallen for the young miko until he had left her.  He had been with his brother for a week now, and every night he missed her more.  Her spirit, her soul, was the same as the two women he'd loved before, making him almost automatically love her.  Kimiko was not a duplicate of either Kikyou or Kagome; she was her own person with pieces of the first two in her.  _Kagome wasn't Kikyou's reincarnation,_ he thought.  _Kimiko is.  Kagome came after her.  That means the jewel survived Kimiko's lifetime, and was never tainted._

All of the future affecting the past issues hurt his head to think about; Inuyasha wasn't accustomed to such advanced things.  He did know one thing – Kimiko would have to remain a miko her whole life to keep the jewel pure.  Kikyou's love for him had made her weak before she died; she had been struggling to keep her purity while love him at the same time.  But Kikyou had just wanted to be a normal woman and have a normal life.  She had wanted to be rid of the jewel so she could love him and be normal.

_What if Kimiko wants the same thing?_ Inuyasha thought.  _If I could remove the jewel from her body…no, I can't do that.  I can't risk letting it fall into the wrong hands again.  The last thing I need is another Naraku, and I REALLY don't need another broken jewel to put back together._

"Augh, why are things always so complicated?!" he shouted at the tree he was in, punching the trunk.  It was frustrating.  His feelings frustrated him, his brother frustrated him, the cursed jewel frustrated him, and Kimiko certainly frustrated him.  He felt like his head would explode from all the stress that had built up in the past week.

"Things would be SO much easier if that stupid jewel had never been created," Inuyasha growled, unaware that he was talking to himself.  "I could have just lived a normal life, or whatever is normal for a half human, half youkai freak.  But I keep running into this girl no matter what body her soul is in, like I'm bonded to it or something!  It's so…"

He stopped, and his mind replayed what he had just said.

_Like I'm bonded to it._

That was it!

Suddenly very focused, Inuyasha remembered back to the day when he had made his wish on the Shikon no Tama.  Thinking hard, he tried to recall his exact words.

~*~Flashback~*~

Inuyasha stood holding the jewel in his hand, staring the direction Kagome had just walked off in.  She had given him the jewel and told him to make his wish, to become the full youkai he wanted to be.  But as he watched her walk away, he knew that after he made that wish, she would go back through that well and leave him forever, and Inuyasha didn't want that.  More than pure youkai blood, more than anything in the world that he had ever wanted, he wanted Kagome.

Holding up the jewel, he closed his eyes.

"I wish that the well will stay open, so Kagome will never have to chose between worlds.  I want to be with Kagome forever."

The jewel flashed…

~*~End Flashback~*~

_I want to be with Kagome forever._

Forever.

Forever was longer than the time he'd spent with her.

Forever was longer than _any_ human lifespan.

"Oh God," he whispered.  "That's it!"

Kagome had died before forever was over.  But her soul was still alive, and somehow Inuyasha had been brought to the new body it inhabited.  He _was_ bonded to her, bonded to her soul, and he knew now that however long he lived he was destined to continue to find her incarnations.  The jewel was granting his wish – it had bound their souls together forever.

But what about the Shikon no Tama inside of Kimiko?  What about the future Kagome?  His being bonded to her soul didn't change the fact that if he allowed Kimiko to fall in love with him and become impure, the jewel would be tainted and corrupted, and his wife who would be born in four hundred years would be corrupted with it.  The jewel would be in the state Naraku had said it was the most beautiful in – dark and tainted.  Because of him.

Because of Inuyasha.

"You stupid jewel!" he shouted to the sky, fury raging through him.  "That's not what I meant!  This isn't what I wanted!"

With a cry of fury, he slammed his claws into the tree trunk, burying them deeply into the bark.  "I didn't want this," he growled.  "I didn't want things to be like this."

Breathing heavily, Inuyasha tore his claws from the wood.  He stared in the direction he knew Kimiko was, the woman who held his past and Kagome's future in her hands and didn't even know it.  Suddenly, he found himself unable to resist the urge to see her again, and in a flash was running through the trees towards the girl who had the power to change everything.

From the castle grounds, Sesshoumaru watched his brother's departure.  _So it has finally come to this,_ he thought.  Quickly, he informed Jaken that he would be leaving for a time and that he was to take care of Toshiomaru in his absence.  Then, the youkai lord of the Western Lands took to flight in the direction his hanyou brother was going, knowing that by the end of the night, he would have proved himself to once again be the villain.


	19. Becoming the Villain

A/N – I probably should have mentioned this a long time ago, but this story has a tragic ending.  I find that when I write the way I want to, I don't write what people want.  Part 1 of this was written to make you, the readers, happy.  Part 2 was so that I could write something I really enjoyed writing, because though I really enjoy reviews, I don't write to get them, I write because I like to.  So please, if you find yourself upset at the ending of my story, remember – I warned you it would be tragic.  Besides, I was just informed by someone IRL that I'm supposed to be angsty because I'm a teenager.  Go figure.

*          *          *

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Becoming The Villain**

The village was quiet when the hanyou arrived late in the night, the humans having long since gone to bed.  Inuyasha found himself approaching from the direction of the youkai tree he had encountered earlier; not wanting another confrontation, he steered clear of it.

Her scent tickled his nose, and he breathed heavily.  _All three of them have had similar scents,_ he thought.  _But each was slightly different and unique._

His feet took him to the house she slept in, and he drew back the curtain over the doorway.  The moonlight touched her face, and a moment later, her dark eyes opened.

"Inuyasha?" she gasped in surprise, sitting up.  She could see only his silhouette bathed in moonlight, as well as the glow of his golden eyes staring down at her.  Standing, she walked towards him.

"You…you left," she whispered, unable to look away from his eyes.  They were so foreign, so not human, but she was drawn to them as if they held a mystical power within them.

"Yeah," he replied quietly.  "I left."

"But why?"

For a moment, he said nothing.   Then, "Because I have to protect Kagome."

She was confused.  "Kagome?  Your wife?  But you told me she was dead."

"She is, in this lifetime.  But she'll be born in the future, and I have to make sure everything goes the way it's supposed to before then."

"I don't understand."

"No, you won't.  I can't explain any more than that."

"Inuyasha," she stepped closer to him, and one hand reached out to touch his face.  The hanyou froze, his flesh tingling at the touch.  He could hear her heart beating faster, and he suddenly knew what she was going to say.  "Inuyasha, I…"

"No!" he said suddenly, pulling away.  "You can't do that.  Don't say what you are going to say.  Kimiko, I can't explain anything, because it won't make sense, but please, you have to promise that you will not fall in love with me.  I won't come back after tonight, but I need to hear you promise me that."

Kimiko trembled slightly, confused and worried by his words.  "This doesn't make any sense, Inuyasha.  Why can't you stay here?  You said you would protect our village.  You said you would protect the Shikon no Tama, because it's inside of me."

"I…I can't do that." He looked away.  "I'm sorry, but I can't stay here."

"But why?"

"If I stay here, then you will love me, just like Kikyou did, just like Kagome did.  I can't let you.  I have to leave, I have to get out of here and never come back so you will forget about me."

"Inuyasha…"

"Just promise me!" he practically pleaded.  "Promise you won't love me!  I don't want to corrupt another miko!"

"I…Inuyasha, I can't promise that.  I can't just not love someone because I say I won't.  It doesn't work that way."

He growled in frustration, before turning and bolting away.  "Wait, Inuyasha!" she cried, running from the house to see his silver hair shining in the moonlight as he ran.

Inuyasha made it as far as the youkai tree before stopping, his nose telling him that someone he knew was very nearby.  Growling, he turned, looking through the trees.

"Where are you, Sesshoumaru?!" he yelled.  A moment later, his brother seemed to materialize in front of him.  "What are you doing here?" Inuyasha growled.

"I followed you," the youkai said simply.

"Well you can turn around and go right back home!  This has nothing to do with you!"

"Will you ever stop playing the fool, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru practically shouted.  Inuyasha stepped back slightly when he realized just how angry his brother was this time.  It took a lot to get Sesshoumaru angry enough to yell, but this time, he had reached that point.

"Ok, Sesshoumaru, why don't we just go back home, and…"

"You still don't understand, Inuyasha.  The games you played in the past may not have been harmless, but they affected only you.  This is a much more dangerous game.  Everyone who was involved in the conflict with Naraku will be affected if you mess this up.  The woman who was your wife will be a completely different person with a black Shikon no Tama.  Ordinarily, this Sesshoumaru does not worry over such matters, but I was also directly involved in this conflict, and I will not have you altering my past and my life because you wish to play with another miko."

It was a long speech for a youkai who ordinarily was of little words, but Sesshoumaru meant every word.  He fought to keep his anger under control, and had never once lost his calm appearance, but there had been a waver in his voice that Inuyasha fully understood the meaning of.  Sesshoumaru was being deadly serious, and he would do whatever he felt necessary to keep the past the way it should be.

"I'm not coming back here again, aniki," Inuyasha told him.  "I only came to tell her that."

"You left her a note last time.  Was that not sufficient?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes tightly.  "I had to make sure she would forget about me."

The youkai looked towards the village.  Standing outside of her house, Kimiko stared at them.  She had stayed there, having stopped running when she realized Sesshoumaru was there as well.  She had been watching them, but had not heard a word of their conversation.  Instead she had just watched, knowing something important was conspiring but unable to find out what.

Glaring in her direction, Sesshoumaru said, "Your miko has not forgotten you, nor will she.  Your encounter with her, however brief, has already impacted her life.  Even now, she begins to love you."

"That's why I have to leave!" Inuyasha told him.  "If I go eventually she'll forget and move on!"

"How long is eventually, Inuyasha?  How long will this half-love she feels burn within her?  You have already made your way into her heart.  How long before she seeks love from another man to regain the feeling she feels for you?  Your miko's fate was sealed the moment you met her."

Inuyasha turned and glanced towards the girl who stared at them.  "Then what can I do to fix things?"

The hanyou suddenly found himself being picked up by his neck.  Gasping, he looked towards his brother, who held him firmly.

"Watch."

Sesshoumaru threw Inuyasha into the youkai tree.  He slammed into the trunk, and in a split second the branches had come to life and seized him, wrapping around his arms, legs, and waist and holding him firmly.  His eyes widened.

"No!" Inuyasha cried as his brother began to walk towards the village.  "Sesshoumaru, no!"

Kimiko gasped when she saw the youkai coming towards her, and bolted back into her house.  A moment later she emerged with her bow and an arrow cocked, which she aimed at Sesshoumaru.

"Did you not learn previously that your arrows cannot harm this Sesshoumaru?" the youkai said calmly, continuing to walk towards her.  He did not like having to do this, but he was prepared to do whatever it took.  Even if it required him becoming the villain.

Kimiko released one arrow at him, which he caught and melted with his poison.  She released a second arrow, and Sesshoumaru allowed it to strike his armor, which shattered.  Still, he walked towards her, cracking his knuckles as his hand glowed an acidic green.  All the while, Inuyasha screamed at him.

"Stop it, Sesshoumaru!  _Stop!"_

The hanyou struggled against the branches that held him with all of his strength, desperate to break free.  He tore, he clawed, he even bit at his wooden bonds, but he could not escape.

"Kimiko _run!"_

Sesshoumaru halted a few feet away from the woman, and glared down at her with his hard golden eyes.  _He has Inuyasha's eyes,_ Kimiko found herself thinking.  _But they are not the same.  In Inuyasha, I can see love, and longing, and humanity.  These eyes…_

Despite herself, she cried, "Inuyasha!" and her cry tore his heart apart.  Every time Kagome had ever screamed his name was wrapped up in that cry, every time she had ever been in danger and needed him.  Her protector.

"Oh God, Sesshoumaru, stop!" Inuyasha screamed.

The youkai held up his hand.

"For the sake of our history," Sesshoumaru said, his hard gaze locked on the woman's face.  "Die."

Claws radiating in poison swung towards her, and Kimiko closed her eyes.


	20. Transformed Fury

**Chapter Twenty**

**Transformed Fury**

It seemed to almost happen in slow motion.  Inuyasha watched as Kimiko fell, her eyes open and staring directly at him.  Her protector, who had failed.  Her body hit the ground, and blood began to pool at Sesshoumaru's feet.

Having been awakened by the screaming, the villagers were beginning to come out of their homes.  They shrank back in fear at the sight of the powerful youkai, but he simply turned and said,

"You are to burn her body.  If you do not, this Sesshoumaru will return, and my next visit will be much less pleasant."

He then elegantly walked away, and behind him the villagers rushed to the body of their miko.

Still bound by the youkai tree, Inuyasha stared in complete disbelief at the broken body lying on the ground.  His legs gave out; if he had not been tied, he would have fallen, but instead ended up hanging heavily from the branches that held him.  He could not believe what he had just seen.

Sesshoumaru approached him, and without a word drew Toukijin and blasted the tree to pieces, destroying it and freeing Inuyasha.  The hanyou fell to his knees, unable to look away though her body could no longer be seen through the villagers surrounding her.  Sesshoumaru stood behind him, and closed his eyes, knowing very well that he had done what was necessary, and feeling not at all happy about it.

"Let us return home, Inuyasha."

Somehow, the hanyou's brain registered what had been spoken to him.  His ears twitched, and he fought back tears that threatened to spill.

"R…return…home?"

Slowly, Inuyasha turned his head, and his face twisted in fury.

"_Onore…_"

Almost unconsciously, Inuyasha slid Tetsusaiga and its sheath out of his belt, and dropped it on the ground.  He pushed himself to his feet, his hands balled into fists.

"You think I can simply walk away from this?" he hissed.  Red began to seep into his eyes as he watched the villagers carry her body away.  "You want me to pretend nothing happened?"

"It is unfortunate that things had to turn out this way, Inuyasha.  But you cannot change what occurred tonight."

Jagged purple stripes began to form on the hanyou's cheeks.

"No," he said, his voice coming out harsh and cold.  "But I can rip you to shreds with my transformed claws."

His claws lengthened and dug into his palms until blood flowed, and his fangs began to overflow his mouth.

"I am tired of fighting like a good boy.  Oyaji [pop] gave me some powerful blood.  I was too afraid to use it before, but now…now I have no reason to hold back."

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and looked towards his brother's back.  "You can fight me, but it will be a short fight, and I'd rather not."

Inuyasha spun, and flung blades of blood towards his brother.  "That's too freakin' bad!"

Sesshoumaru blocked the attack with Toukijin.  "Your transformed self is strong, but irrational.  You cannot defeat me."

"Put down your sword and fight me with your claws, Sesshoumaru.  Unless you are afraid too fight without it."

The youkai's eyes narrowed.  "This Sesshoumaru fears nothing."

Toukijin slid back into his belt, and he cracked his knuckles.  Inuyasha did the same, before lunging towards him at a speed he usually was unable to achieve.

Sesshoumaru smoothly leapt out of the way, and Inuyasha's lunge sent him tumbling clumsily to the ground.

"You are powerful, but unfocused.  Retrieve your Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha.  At least fight me with some form of sanity."

"I will fight you however I want!" Inuyasha screamed, leaping towards him again.  Sesshoumaru once again dodged, but to his shock Inuyasha's claws grazed his chest.  His armor having previously been broken, the claws tore his kimono and left thin lines of blood.

_He was always faster when that woman was involved,_ Sesshoumaru thought, watching as his brother came at him again.  With unmatchable speed, the youkai caught Inuyasha's wrist, and his hand began to radiate poison.

"Give up, Inuyasha," he said coldly.  "If you do not, your hand will be melted off."

The hanyou growled fiercely, before swinging his free arm.  Sesshoumaru dodged to the side, but could not go far while holding him.  Seemingly unaffected by the poison melting his wrist, Inuyasha swung again, and his hand closed around Sesshoumaru's neck.

The youkai's eyes widened in surprise as his brother's hand tightened around his neck, and his breathing became labored.  _He does not feel the pain of my poison,_ he realized.  _It is as it always was when he was transformed.  He cannot feel any pain._

Sesshoumaru's youki swirled around them, lifting them into the air.  They barely cleared the trees; Inuyasha's hand was beginning to crush his throat, and he could no longer breathe.

"Just die," Inuyasha growled, feeling the sadistic satisfaction he always felt when he was killing someone in his youkai form.  Suddenly, Sesshoumaru released his wrist, and with a cry Inuyasha found himself falling to the earth below.

He landed directly on top of the discarded Tetsusaiga, and, crumpling to the ground, did not move.  Slowly, Sesshoumaru lowered himself to the ground, breathing heavily.  He could hear his brother's pulse and breath, and knew he was still alive.  A full minute passed, and Inuyasha did not move.

"Stop playing games, Inuyasha," he said finally.  "Stand up and continue to fight, if you still wish my death."

The hanyou didn't move.  A soft wind blew across his body, and brought a faint new scent to Sesshoumaru's nose.  The scent of salt water.  Inuyasha had begun to cry.

A moment later, he shakily pushed himself to his knees, and for the first time noticed his half melted wrist.  Cradling it to his chest, he looked with eyes that were once again gold towards the place where Kimiko had died.  He had not cried since Kagome's death; he didn't want to show such a weakness in front of his brother, but once the tears had begun he couldn't stop them.

"Why?" he asked himself.  "Am I destined to ruin the life of everyone I meet?  Why do things always turn out this way?"

Suddenly, he heard the rustle of cloth, and white hakama came into view beside him.

"This Sesshoumaru holds a sword of healing power," the youkai said.  "But when Rin's life was taken from me, I was unable to revive her.  The creatures of the underworld did not appear when I held the sword, and I lost her.  Human lives are far too frail and short for creatures such as ourselves to become involved in.  Continuing to love them will only result in more heartache."

Inuyasha looked up at his brother.  His eyes were closed as he remembered the only human he had ever loved, and the hanyou knew that even Sesshoumaru had suffered at the loss of his human woman.  At that moment, seeing what he knew was his brother's only weakness, Inuyasha realized he couldn't hate him for what he had just done.  If Kimiko had lived, she would have undoubtedly fallen in love, corrupting herself and the jewel inside her.  If Kagome had been tainted, and the jewel in her impure, there was no way to know how things would have turned out.  Inuyasha would never have found love with her, that was certain.  And what of Sesshoumaru's own meeting of Rin?  Had he not been injured, she would not have found him, and had Inuyasha not had Tetsusaiga, Sesshoumaru would not have been injured.  Without Kagome, Tetsusaiga would not have been freed from the pedestal.  Every event tied together into an impossibly elaborate web, and not a single strand could be broken without effecting the rest.

Kimiko had to die a miko.  Sesshoumaru had seen to it that it had come to pass.  She had died pure, and the Shikon no Tama was untainted.  For that, no matter how much his heart ached, Inuyasha could not blame his brother.

"Aniki…" he began.

"Let us go home, Inuyasha."  Sesshoumaru interrupted.  Inuyasha rose to his feet, and looked one last time at the village that no longer had to worry about youkai attacking for the Shikon no Tama.  He placed Tetsusaiga back into his belt, and silently followed his brother away.

_Will my life continue this way?_ Inuyasha thought, holding his damaged wrist to his chest as he walked.  _Will I be forced to encounter every incarnation of Kagome's soul?  I don't think I can go through this again._

The sun was rising when they arrived at the western castle, and he watched as Toshiomaru ran to greet his father.  Sesshoumaru spoke without looking at him.

"What will you do now, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou looked across the castle grounds.  "Maybe…maybe I'll just stay here.  At least then I won't run into any more mikos.  Besides," he managed to grin slightly.  "You're gonna need someone to raise that kid right."

Sesshoumaru turned.  "You do not think this Sesshoumaru is capable of raising his own son?"

"Heh, you've raised a little human girl, which I'm sure was enough of a challenge, but I have two children with youkai blood.  Much harder to handle."

The youkai did not reply, though he cocked an eyebrow at his brother.  He then turned and began to walk away.

"Stay as long as you'd like, Inuyasha.  I care not what you do at this point."

Inuyasha watched his brother disappear in the distance, and looked off towards the sunrise.  _I will stay here,_ he thought.  _And hopefully not damage any more lives.  It's all I can do._

Meanwhile, somewhere out in the vast country, a child was born, and the light of the Shikon no Tama shined brightly from inside of her.

The End 

*          *          *

A/N – There was no possible way I could give this a happy ending.  I tried to at least lighten the mood a little at the end, but it was the best I could do.  A couple notes about this last chapter – 

One – I know already I will get reviewers asking why Inuyasha transformed.  Here is my answer – in the past (in the show and manga) Inuyasha has tried his hardest not to transform, because he feared that he would kill Kagome, or other humans.  At this point, the villagers are gone, and the girl he was afraid of killing is dead.  Because he was unable to stop her death, he doesn't care about himself at this point – if he kills himself, it doesn't matter, because in his mind, he doesn't deserve to live after letting her be killed.  He wants revenge, and he knows that, sword-to-sword, he cannot defeat Sesshoumaru.  But transformed, he has a chance, as long as Sesshoumaru isn't using Toukijin.

Also, I just really wanted to write a claw-to-claw fight between Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha when they were more evenly matched ;)

Two – The word "onore" was left untranslated because a translation would have disrupted the flow of the story.  "Onore" literally means "you"; it's a very rude, very ticked off way of saying it.  It's one of the words that, in the subtitles, is translated as a cuss word, but all it is is a very ticked off way of saying "you".  I recall Sesshoumaru saying it at one point in the episodes; it's also what Kikyou screams at Inuyasha/Naraku in the flashback when he stole the jewel from her.  I also left "chichi-ue" untranslated; it's a proper way of saying "father".

This note has gotten longer than planned, so I'll end it now.  Sorry about the sad ending, but like I said, there was no way I could make it different.

Until next time – sayonara.


End file.
